Shattered Pieces
by Orpheus Kidwell
Summary: Born in the Mines and experimented on by the SDC, Naruto is one of many. The White Fang might be terrorists to others, but Adam and Blake are his saviors, his heroes, his family. While he was broken, they took him in and he will never forget that kindness. When the world wants to break his family apart, he'll just have to break them instead. NarutoxNeo
1. Chapter I

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter I**

"Naruto! Are you even listening?" Blue eyes blinked in uncertainty before the head they were attached to shook itself, blonde spikes swaying gently. The boy appeared to be thirteen years old, wearing a look of regret and apology as the speaker reprimanded him. He wore a dark red kimono shirt that was wrapped by a matching obi, with a pair of similarly colored hakama pants. On each cheek were three whisker-like scars etched deeply into his flesh. The most remarkable feature, though, was that each of his fingers had large claws that seemed to be so deeply stained in blood that they would never come clean no matter how much bleach was used.

"I'm sorry, Kimimaro. What was that? I was looking at the moon." The other boy - probably 15 - scoffed and shook his own head. Kimimaro had shoulder-length, white hair with two maroon hair cuffs keeping the front left and back right sections of his hair bound and hanging over each shoulder. He wore a white battle kimono with a large, purple bow tied behind his back out of a thick rope. Behind the boy, a reptilian tail swayed back and forth in time to some unseen metronome.

"I was making sure that you remembered our orders?" The pale boy responded with more than a little agitation, but it was toned down as he had taken in the apologetic look on the blonde's face. "Look, I know you don't want to be here, that you really hate this sort of thing, but we need to show the Captain that we can be useful." Naruto looked down for a moment before a large grin took his face. His eyes changed from blue to a deep, blood red with slits for pupils. "Kurama, I'm talking to Naruto. You'll have your fun in a bit." The voice Kimimaro used that time was stern, commanding. It caused Naruto to shake his head again as his irides faded back into azure.

"Sorry about that. You know how overzealous Kurama gets…" Naruto apologized. With a sigh, he finally nodded. "Yeah, I know that we need to do this. Okay, what are the orders? Do I need to just let out Kurama again?" Kimimaro nodded as he held out his hand, a bone protruding from it. He grabbed it and yanked it from his wrist, holding it like a sword. "Play nice, Kurama…" Naruto whispered as his eyes blazed that dangerous crimson once again. That grin returned full-force as 'Kurama' looked at Kimimaro.

"Luckily for you, we're on distraction duty again." Kimimaro told the boy and pointed behind him. It was some sort of research facility with large fences around the perimeter, barbed wire on the top and enormous signs on it warning of the voltage coursing through the metal. "The other two will be sacking the buildings to find a particular target while we just wreak as much havoc as we possibly can."

"Perfect." Kurama noted. His voice was much different than Naruto's. Where Naruto was soothing and a bit hesitant, Kurama's tone exuded madness and bloodlust. Kurama didn't even take out a weapon, he simply flexed his hands, his bloody, bloody hands. Kimimaro led the way and slashed his bone sword against the steel gate. It tore through the wiring very easily and didn't conduct the electricity at all. Both of the Faunus headed through the hole and made their way onto the private property. "Payback's a bitch, Jacques. That, and karma." Kurama noted with a deranged smile as he rushed into the compound, leaving Kimimaro in his wake.

The very first person Kurama came into contact with was an intern carrying a few notebooks outside of a lab. Before she could raise her voice even slightly, Kurama had her throat in an iron grip. His claws dug into the girl's tender flesh as bluish-green tresses tangled in between his fingers. The blonde looked directly into the girl's eyes, soaking in her fear and _feeling_ the strength it gave him. "Hello, girlie. Say hello to your old boss for me, will you?" With that, Kurama's left claw disemboweled her at the same time his right hand crushed her windpipe beyond repair.

The girl's eyes began to lose their light just as her Aura lit up a pale olive green. Kurama's own Aura lit up an orangish-gold color and seemed to… consume hers. That grin of his widened further. "That's great… just what I needed." Tossing the corpse to the ground like one would a cigarette butt, Kurama flexed his fingers until he felt something. His Aura shifted colors to that of the woman he had just slaughtered and he grinned. Her memories flooded into his mind. One of them gave the location of where the most people would be gathered at this time. Another granted the knowledge of her rather weak Semblance, but Kurama already liked what he could do with it as his claws began to spark a dangerous electric-blue.

"Do you always have to make such a mess?" Kimimaro wondered as he saw the blonde's claws sparking. "Another one?" He looked down at the intern and frowned. "I didn't think a simple intern would already have a Semblance unlocked. So, what's this one?"

"Bio-Electricity, I think." Kurama noted. "Follow me. I found out from her memories that most of the people who aren't doing work will be in the rec hall about now. There's a billiards tournament going on as we speak. Is that the level of carnage you were hoping for?" Kimimaro nodded as bony spikes began to appear on his body. Two jutted out of his shoulders and elbows, two more from his knees, more down his back that tore up the kimono and several from his chest. His tail had several spikes from base to tip, and then an overly large mace-like ball of spikes on the very end that gave him resemblance to an ankylosaur. Above his eyebrows and next to two red dots on his forehead, Kimimaro also grew bone-white horns meant to gore. Every spike was serrated and sharp, it's pure ivory color contrasting deeply with Kurama's blood-stained clothing and skin.

Without looking at the now dead woman, the two of them walked past her. Kurama, using his new memories, led Kimimaro to a large building that was as off-white as the rest of the research facility. There were a few obstacles in their way that took the form of other people, but six new corpses littered the green lawn a bright red whenever contact was made. "So, you insist on playing with your new toy instead of being practical and using one of the other ones?" Kimimaro asked, getting a wide grin from the blonde. This only caused the white-haired boy to sigh, but motioned for him to enter the building first. Needless to say, he complied _very_ easily.

Using his Aura to strengthen his leg, Kurama kicked the steel door right off its hinges, breaking one of the billiard tables in half as it hurtled forward. Looking around at those gathered, Kurama grinned widely. Surprise, fear and anger mixed amongst the men and women within. Several members pulled out guns with a few even drawing the shifting weapons that Huntsmen were so well known for. "What fun!" Kurama noted cheerily as he rolled out of the way of automatic fire. Kicking up a billiard table to block it out, he ripped one of the table's legs off.

When he surrounded the leg with his Aura, he jumped from behind the table and slammed it over the head of one of the gun wielding guards hard enough to cause his cranium to explode. The brain matter didn't make Kurama slow down at all. Not even the shots that plowed into his shoulder would do that. Indeed, his Aura glowed a bright orange-gold as the burns from Fire Dust and laser fire healed over in moments. Picking out a new target, Kurama grabbed the pistol from the person he had just killed and smiled eerily.

With deadly accuracy, seven shots - all that was left in the clip - left the chamber and found their mark in the heads of seven of the guards. Tossing away the weapon as new burns began healing from shots he'd taken while firing his own weapon, Kurama grinned. That grin slipped away as large bones pierced through the chests of two of the guards, then five needles made of ivory hit five others. Kurama turned quickly to see Kimimaro in the doorway and growled.

"You were taking too long. Don't play with your food." The bone user reprimanded.

Kurama crossed his arms with a huff. "Whatever." He replied coolly as his Aura shimmered a marigold hue. Arms made of his Aura formed and stretched out to grab the remaining three guards by the throats, pulling them close to him. They had dropped their weapons along the way, which left them in Kurama's power completely. He placed his claw on one of their chests and tapped it lightly. "I'd really like to enjoy this, but Kimimaro says I shouldn't play with you anymore. So, even though your boss has made my life hell, it looks like you'll get a quick death." With that, he shoved his claw through the man's chest, grabbed his heart and felt its beat weakening. Squeezing his right hand, he felt the soft organ tear and collapse in his grip. The light from his eyes began to disappear the same way that first woman's had, his Aura lighting up a neon blue before being consumed by Kurama's.

Kurama pulled his claw out and let the man drop to the floor, taking delight in the fear the other two exuded. "You're afraid, right?" He asked, getting feverish nods from the others. "That's good! You know, Naruto was afraid too. He was just _so fucking terrified_!" Kurama lightly stroked his claw along the neck of the next guard, a woman this time. "None of them cared though. That snake reveled in it! His assistant thought it was interesting! Naruto couldn't control anything in his life and he was just so terrified of _everything_ they did to him. So Yami and I had to step in, we had to protect him." His index claw was pressing into the flesh on the bottom of her chin hard enough to draw blood, but not enough to pierce. " _First_ , your boss kidnaps a Faunus orphan. _Second,_ he forces him to work the mines for fucking years. Instead of respite once Naruto learned about his gift, his ability, his blessed Semblance, do you know what happened? That fucking snake learned about it and took him from his new home! Then he wanted to experiment and see how far Naruto could heal himself! He thought that regeneration was Naruto's gift, no. _I'm_ his Semblance, and Yami." Finally, his claw began to puncture the bottom of her chin, causing her to scream loudly even as the tip of his claw began to graze the bottom of her tongue.

"Still, he doesn't hate any living individual in the Schnee Dust Corporation. He's sweet, but naive. His torturers may be _long_ dead, but there's no way Orochimaru did it without the go-ahead of Jacques." At this point, Kurama curled his finger around the bottom of her jaw, pulling her whole face until their eyes were mere inches apart. "You know what though? All the hatred that Naruto and Yami should have but don't, I do! I have all that and then some! There's some good news though. These sins can be redeemed, and your blood may only be a drop in the ocean that it will take, but it's one step closer!"

With that, his other claw grabbed her throat and tore it out, throwing her the floor in disgust. Turning to the last, he saw the Kimimaro already had jammed a bone dagger between his eyes. Kurama let the Aura arms fade from existence as his vision turned to the frightened researchers and interns that were still left alive. Just as he was about to take a step towards them, he felt the telltale static in his ear that meant he was about to get a radio message over the headset. _"Extraction complete. Kurama and Kimimaro, head to rendezvous point Alpha, task complete."_ Kurama scowled and felt his right hand clench, the blood squelching between his fingers. He looked at the people he was just about to lay into and sighed. "Just five more minutes, that's all I needed…" He muttered as his Aura changed to an oak brown as he turned around. "Let's go, Kimimaro."

Kimimaro took a look at the shade of Kurama's Aura and nodded, walking out the door first. Kurama turned just before he left the building and looked at the huddled up group. "I just want you to know that I hate all of you." With that, brown spots shimmered along the floor and walls before large, steel rods materialized and shot at each of the humans. Lethal piercing, shards had them dead within moments. "Stupid Sakon, finishing the mission so fast."

"Stop whining, Kurama." Kimimaro teased the boy as they got to the gate and stepped back through it. "Alright, bring Naruto back out." Kurama nodded and crimson eyes shifted back to azure, pupils becoming round once more. The madness that Kurama exuded changed to a soothing feeling coming from Naruto. "Welcome back, Naruto."

Naruto looked down at himself, seeing all the blood Kurama had stained him in. There was a reason that he wore such a dark red color, though the holes in his kimono shirt would need to be fixed when he got back to base. His Aura changed to a cool blue as the blood began to wash itself off with the moisture from the air. "So, what happened in there?" He asked.

"I'm assuming you don't mean Kurama's usual carnage?" Naruto nodded at that. "Well, Kurama picked up a new Semblance for you. He said is was something along the lines of bio-electricity. There might be more, but you'll have to sift through the new souls in your collection." Naruto shuddered at the thought, but nodded nonetheless.

"Thank you, Kimimaro. Where are Sakon and Ukon?" He wondered idly.

"Do you even listen to debriefings, Naruto?" Kimimaro had to ask in genuine curiosity.

"Well, Yami usually listens in on those so he can know all the escape routes…" Naruto admitted. "I usually speak with him a little in the mindscape before the mission starts, but there was hardly any time when we did it this time and I was so busy helping out in the infirmary that it slipped my mind."

Kimimaro shook his head, but not in annoyance. It really was amazing just _how_ different Naruto and Kurama were. Yami too, for that matter. "We're meeting Sakon and Ukon at rendezvous point Alpha." Naruto seemed to retreat in himself for a moment before nodding.

"Right, right. I remember now. Okay, we should probably head over there then, right?" Kimimaro nodded and with that, the two set off.

 **[Two hours later]**

"Kimimaro, do you think they made it out alright?" Naruto asked the older boy as he looked around for any sign of the other members of their squad. The rims of his eyes shone a distinctively glassy color as he did so, enhancing his vision. "I really hope they didn't get caught by anyone."

"Who could even catch them?" Kimimaro asked. "We're well outside of Vale and we just wiped out the SDC facility. According to our scouts there's no villages or tribes out here."

"What about Grimm?" The blonde asked as the aura around his eyes disappeared and he looked at his much calmer partner. "I know that they can handle their own in a fight, but what if they came into contact with an alpha-class or worse?" Kimimaro smiled at the worried tone that Naruto showed. He was the youngest from that lab and yet… _And yet he's always been the one to keep our little family together._

"Only an alpha-class? I'm a little hurt that you think the two of us can't handle a single one of those." A new voice made itself known. Naruto and Kimimaro turned to see a pair of twins with silver hair and brown eyes. They wore very similar outfits, with small variations to tell them apart. Sakon had a tan battle kimono without sleeves, the yin symbol on the hem of it and a thick, purple rope tied into a bow behind his back similar to Kimimaro. Ukon wore the same outfit except his kimono had the yang symbol and he also wore a black, long-sleeve shirt beneath his. The second difference was that they wore their long hair in opposite ways. Sakon's covered his left eye, while Ukon's covered his right. Lastly, each of them had a large, curved horn protruding from their forehead above their respective, visible eyes.

Naruto's eyes shimmered a moment before turning purple and glaring at the twins. "Well, _sorry_ for worrying about keeping the two most knuckleheaded members of our family safe." Ukon grinned at this, licking his lips slightly.

"Well, hello there Yami. It's been some time since you've come out to Naruto's defense." Yami shook his head before the eyes returned back to cerulean, causing the twins to chuckle. "So, how did you two do on your mission?"

"Well, Kurama had fun." Kimimaro stated calmly, getting grins from the twins. When they looked at Naruto, the older teens saw he was looking at his hands as sparks danced between his fingers and smiling lightly. As they watched, he caused a small bolt to form between his index fingers and sustain itself for a few moments. "And apparently Naruto is going to as well."

"Huh? Did you say something, Kimimaro?" Naruto asked, turning his new Semblance off. He was a bit confused as the other three either smirked or chuckled, then looked at Sakon and noticed something wrapped up and tied to his back. "What's that? Is that what the mission was for?" Sakon grinned and nodded. "What is it?"

He pulled it from his back and knelt down, laying the object on the floor, then began to unroll it. The quartet was then presented with a red-bladed sword of all things, kept in a black scabbard. "This is Wilt and Blush, an experimental weapon that the SDC was working on. The blade is made of some strange material that lets it absorb energy and then use it to fuel Spells. Its Adam's new weapon." Ukon explained to the two.

"That's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed as he looked at it. "He'll be really happy that we got it for him!" The blonde then looked up at the twins and his eyes seemed to get a little bigger as the excitement of the situation affected him. "Can I carry it on the way back? I promise I won't break it!" Kimimaro and the twins looked at the boy and collectively sighed before Sakon nodded. It was strange for Naruto to act so childish, unless one of _those two_ was the subject of a conversation. Still, they were just as grateful as Naruto to them.

Naruto quickly rolled it up and bound it up before throwing it over his shoulder with a grin. "Let's head back to base then!" He received a nod from the other three as they began their trek back to their base outside Vale.

 **[White Fang Base, Somewhere Outside Vale]**

"We're back!" The voice reverberated through a large building that was mostly quiet. Several dozen tables were set up in the room that Naruto, Kimimaro and the twins had arrived in, with very few Faunus sitting at them, though those who _were_ present looked up to see the quartet. A grinning blonde leading three taller boys into the building with something strapped to his back caused several of them to chuckle. At the voice, a door that was connected to the large dining hall opened and out stepped a man that caused Naruto's eyes to light up even more. "Nii-san! Look what I got!" With that, Naruto zipped across the room faster than the others could keep track of.

The man had spiked back crimson hair with two small, black horns curving back with them and wore a white mask that covered his eyes with only four slits to allow him to see and red designs on it. He also wore a red shirt beneath a black, collared coat that only had the middle button done and a matching pair of pants. His entire outfit was in pristine condition and looked to be of high quality cloth. As the man saw the blonde appear, he couldn't help but smile a bit. "And just what is it that you have there?"

Naruto grinned triumphantly as he unwrapped the cloth and handed the experimental weapon to the man, who inspected the blade. "Sakon let me carry it on the way back. I wanted to be the one to give it to you!" The redhead looked at it with a bit of surprise until Naruto's next words. "Happy birthday, nii-san!"

"Was it Blake that set you up to this?" Adam asked with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

"She was part of it." Naruto responded with a cryptic smile. "Oh! Where is nee-chan?" Naruto asked. Adam sheathed the weapon and thought for a moment.

"Blake is in the library, as usual." He responded easily. "I'm not sure what she's up to, but she insists that I not disturb whatever it is she's doing." The blonde nodded and zipped off once more. Adam noted sparks trailing him and smirked. It seemed that Kurama had picked up a new toy… wherever they had obtained this weapon. _Probably something to do with the Schnee family. Blake does have a distaste for harming those she thinks are innocent._

Leaving Wilt and Blush with Adam, Naruto made his way out of the dining hall. He couldn't really put in the report to Adam given Kurama had been the one to do the mission and not him, so the twins and Kimimaro would take care of that. **"I can tell you that it was certainly fun!"** The blonde ignored Kurama's slightly deranged voice as he made his way through the base until he found a set of large double doors and opened them.

The new room he found himself in was large, with a high ceiling and dozens of bookshelves that stretched high. Each one was filled with all sorts of books that were donated, bought by members of the White Fang or their sympathizers. Well, also the ones that were _found_ by members when they went on missions. Naruto already knew where he'd find Blake, so he quickly and quietly made his way to the back of the library, where eight tables were set up. She was the only person there.

Blake Belladonna had ivory skin with wavy, black hair that came to her waist and a pair of amber eyes. Atop her head twitched two cat ears, telling the blonde she already heard his entry. Unlike his team, Blake wore a very Velian style of clothing. She had a white shirt beneath a black, sleeveless coat that was buttoned in the middle and exposed her midsection, white shorts, tights that were colored in a gradient from black to purple as it got closer to her black boots. She looked up from her book, _The Man with Two Souls,_ and smiled slightly as Naruto came into her sight. It was softer than the smirk that Adam wore upon seeing the blonde return, but neither of the two could compare to the _enormous_ grin that the younger boy wore when he greeted them.

"Nee-chan!" Before the cat-eared girl could blink, Naruto had already glomped her, snuggling into her body. She chuckled and patted his head a bit as she shut the book and set it down. "I gave nii-san his present just like you told me to!" Blake nodded, though the smile she wore had become a little strained.

"Did you have any trouble?" She asked, worry evident in her voice.

"Nope! Sakon and Ukon got it really easily while Kimimaro and Kurama distracted the guards. Yami didn't have to do anything and neither did I. Kurama had fun though, if what he told me is true." Blake nodded and smiled once more. No one at that base was innocent, they worked for the Schnee Dust Company and were very high ranking at that. No one there was innocent… they just couldn't be.

"Did he like it?" Blake asked with only a slight blush in her cheeks. She smiled when Naruto nodded and stroked the blonde's spikes idly, like one might a dog - or a fox. "Did you get anything new?"

"There weren't really any books there besides medical stuff and I know you aren't interested in that." Naruto told her. "Kurama got a new toy though." Holding up his hand, Naruto showed sparks dancing along it to Blake. "It's something like bio-electricity manipulation. Basically, it lets us control the electric energy inside my body. I think it'll probably be useful in my training."

Blake nodded. It would definitely be useful for his training. _Still, I wish that he didn't have to grow up so fast…_ She couldn't help but think. _It's already been two years since that night…_

 **[Schnee Dust Corporation Research Facility "Yamato" - Two Years Ago]**

Explosions rocked the Yamato Research Facility deep into the night. It was among the first signs that something was happening that the scientists and guards were not prepared for. A thirteen year old Blake watched as older members of the White Fang led the assault on the Velian base and shook. It wasn't her fault! It was all so terrifying to watch as humans and Faunus alike lost their lives before her cat-like eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Adam. "Blake, you know what our spies found in their. We _can't_ let it go on."

Sighing, she nodded and stood from her crouched position. "Come on, let's go in while they're defending." She told him. As one, the partners stealthily and quickly made their way around the battlefield with weapons drawn. They stuck to the roofs of the buildings and stayed in the shadows, but even then they couldn't escape the notice of a few guards.

"These terrorists are getting child soldiers now? You see this?" One of them stated in disgust as the pair heard two swords being drawn and a rifle's lever being cocked. "Are you going to come quietly or do we need to have the blood of children on our hands?" Blake and Adam turned to see three guards wearing heavy armor and helmets. The Schnee certainly kept their employees well equipped.

"The only one bleeding will be you." Adam stated with a snarl as he took a stance with his sword. "Blake, I've got these two, you take care of the guy in the back." The girl nodded and pumped Aura through her body. In a burst of speed, she rushed past the two with blades and appeared beside the one with the rifle. Based on the fact he didn't react until she had Gambol Shroud pointed to his head, she knew he still had a locked Aura. That explained why they had such heavy-looking armor. With a sick stomach, the girl pulled her trigger and shuddered as blood from his face sprayed onto her hand because of how close to him she was. When he hit the ground, she turned to look at Adam and noted that one of the other two was already dead and the other was being stabbed through the stomach as she watched. She still never understood how Adam could take lives so easily.

"Blake, come on." His voice shook the girl from her thoughts and she nodded, catching up to the bull Faunus. When the two got to the center of the facility, Adam stopped her. Looking down, they noted that one of the buildings had wide doors. "In there, it has to be. It's the center of the base, so there's no way that he wouldn't keep them all there."

The duo jumped to the floor and walked into the large building. Immediately, they noted that it smelt sterile and deeply of chemicals. They also noticed all the lab equipment and cages. _Oh, Dust help me…_ Blake noticed that the cages didn't have beasts in them, but _Faunus_. _They were right… Faunus experimentation…_

Her top set of ears twitched as she heard muttering and whimpering. Everyone in the room looked dead or their body was so _horrifying_ that they should be, but among them, there was one living. A blonde who looked only two years younger than her. She slowly approached him, but he didn't seem to notice her since his back was turned to the room. Head between his legs, the boy shook with sobs and held himself tightly. "No, no, it's too dangerous to try, Kurama." A quiet, logical voice that didn't match up to the boy's actions stated. "We can't play it safe anymore, Yami! He's going to become even worse than he is right now if we don't escape! He'll live, but what sort of life is this?" The tone of the boy's voice changed to something higher and… it almost sounded like the voice those mad war veterans back in Menagerie. "I don't want to be here anymore… I want kaa-chan and tou-chan…" The sobbing continued as a third time he spoke, this time it was soft and pleading. "I don't want to be here either, Naruto!" The one called Yami spoke again, if Blake was right. "I want nothing more than to leave, but we need to be careful about how we do this or we'll end up in Block 12!" The crying came back again, this time it was loud enough that Blake couldn't help but to gasp and place a hand over her mouth, fighting back her own tears.

Adam finally made his way to where Blake was and saw the sobbing boy. "Blake, get as many prisoners as you can to safety. I'm going to find the man responsible for this and kill him. Dr. Orochimaru won't hurt _anyone_ else if I have anything to say about it." Blake nodded firmly and crouched next to the too small cage that the boy was kept in.

"Hello? My name is Blake and I'm here to get you out of here. Would you like to go somewhere safe?" She asked as she opened the cage door and held out a hand for the boy. Azure eyes full of fear and hope looked at her amber orbs and nodded rapidly. "What's your name?"

"I… I'm Naruto…" With that, he jumped out and wrapped his arms around the girl's neck tightly, crying into her shoulder deeply. Blake found herself holding him just as tight and crying with him. She was beginning to understand why Adam was able to kill so easily after all.

 **[White Fang Base Infirmary, Present Day]**

Naruto had spent a little bit of time with Blake before leaving to the infirmary. She had told him about a fight that had broken out between two members while he had been gone. As soon as he entered, he saw them and sighed. "Come on, you two, do we have to do this every time I go on a mission?" He asked in exasperation. There wasn't any malice, only disappointment.

The two he spoke of sat on neighboring beds and had copious amounts of bruising, cuts and bandages covering their bodies. The first was a girl with long, red hair and a cap on top. Brown eyes showed a mixture of distaste for the person next to her and shame. The person next to her was a woman with a pineapple-styled ponytail of violet hair and pupilless brown eyes full of defiance. She was much more developed than the redhead and grinned, showcasing a pair of retractable fangs that lay in the top of her mouth. "Tayuya, Anko, don't you two get tired of this?"

"Don't blame me, it's that bitch's fault!" Tayuya exclaimed while pointing an accusatory finger at the woman. "Every time you leave, she doesn't have anyone to _entertain_ her, as she says, and gets too handsy! I'm not gonna sit there and let her molest me when I can fight back, you know!"

Anko licked her lips. "What can I say? I just can't help myself when it comes to you Uzumaki~! Your blood tastes the best!" Tayuya shivered.

"Can you get this over with so I can get out of here?" The redhead all but begged. Naruto sighed but nodded. Approaching the girl, he allowed his Aura to surround his hands and placed them over her body. His Aura glowed a very dark red and energy from Tayuya began to move from her body, to the aura around his hands. As it did so, the bruises and cuts that littered Tayuya disappeared and then reappeared in the exact same places on Naruto's own body. His eyes strained a moment before his regeneration kicked in and took care of the wounds in less than a moment. "I promise I'll make it up to you, Naruto." Tayuya conceded as she grabbed her flute from the bedside table and played a tune. As she did, her form shimmered and she disappeared completely.

Naruto took a deep breath and then turned to Anko. "Why do you have to pick on Tayuya?" He asked.

"Well, she's easy too freak out, that's why!" Anko retorted, her previous expression replaced by one of mischief. "I get _so bored_ and she's the easiest to antagonize into a fight that's actually challenging. Plus, I'm helping you get better with your Semblance! You should be thanking me!" Anko wore a triumphant grin at her logic, causing the younger Faunus to sigh again.

"Just let me heal you and we can go, okay? I owe Tayuya that much of a head start, I think." Anko grinned as Naruto coated his hands in that same Aura, and only blushed a little bit when Anko grabbed his hands and forced them to touch her impressive bust. "You're impossible sometimes…" He muttered while looking away.

"Still just helping you!" She replied with an easy grin. "Just you watch, I'll make you into a casanova that all the ladies want and _then_ you'll be able to show them a great time. And I'll be able to take all the credit for that, and the cat won't get to say anything!" Anko began laughing a bit madly at that as Naruto took her wounds and let them heal as he had done to Tayuya. He pulled back and shook his head.

"I don't get why you always have to instigate with everyone here." Naruto mentioned but got no answer. "And no fighting inside the infirmary." Without even looking at Anko, he had known she'd brought out her daggers. When he looked back at her and saw her pout, he allowed a small smile to form on his lips. "We'll go outside. You've already had your spar though, so instead you can help me with something." Anko tilted her head in confusion. "We're getting low on medicine, so Dr. Nohara wanted me to go hunting for some things in one of the nearby villages that was abandoned."

"Didn't you _just_ get back from a mission?" Anko asked curiously. "I thought that members are only allowed one mission a day except in emergencies?"

" _Kurama_ just got back from a mission." Naruto corrected her with a mischievous smile. "Plus, the longer it takes to get these supplies, the higher chance of someone dying. I can't exactly use my Semblance to heal everyone all the time. Especially since I can't be here all the time. Dr. Nohara and I agreed that we need those medical supplies as quickly as possible just in case something goes wrong."

"So, is anyone else going with us?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Isaribi, Guren and Yuukimaru are coming as well." He replied, watching as Anko's grin widened even further. "Please don't agitate Guren. The village we're going to is still infested with Grimm. We need to be serious." Anko pouted and sighed overdramatically.

"You _never_ let me have fun, Naru! It's not fair!" Naruto ignored her and began walking out the infirmary, forcing her to follow after him. "What about on our way back here?" The blonde looked back at her and shrugged. That was all Anko needed to regain that mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'll be good then!"

 **[Fifteen minutes later, Road to Saunus Village]**

Naruto was leading the group of five away from the White Fang base, which could still be seen in the distance behind them. Anko walked next to him, a grin on her face. Behind and to his other side was Isaribi. She had purple hair that came down to her shoulders, bound in two hair bands on either side, black eyes and looked to be just as young as Naruto. She wore a light purple gown without sleeves and a yellow scarf around her neck. Instead of a weapon, she had a belt around her waist that had multiple pouches for dust.

Beside Isaribi stood Guren and Yuukimaru. Guren was a woman, older than Anko, with a purple ponytail that looked similar to Anko's, as well as long bangs that framed her pale face. Her eyes were darker than obsidian and her lips shone like fresh blood. She wore a green kimono with a large, yellow flower emblem on her right leg that had one short, and one long sleeve. Beneath that she wore a red shirt and shorts, as well as knee-high, heeled boots.

Yuukimaru looked older than Naruto and Isaribi, probably about the same age as Blake and Kimimaro. He had long, pale green hair and violet eyes. He was wearing a kimono that was jade on the inside and grey on the outside, blue pants and bandages down to his ankles.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Anko asked, being the only one that had yet to be debriefed on their mission. "Oh! And how many Grimm are we talking about? And how strong are they?"

"Well, we're going to be scavenging through the hospital to find anything that could be useful. Medicine, equipment, fuel, food, things like that. Naruto knows the things that could be useful more than us since he's being trained by Dr. Nohara, so just grab things you think might be and he'll decide what we take." Isaribi explained the first question.

"As for the Grimm: there are enough to sate even you, though not enough to sate Kurama." Guren continued.

"And we know that there are at least a few alpha-class making nests in Saunus." Yuukimaru finished up.

Anko's grin only widened further. "It shouldn't be more than a two hour walk to get there." He explained next, which immediately caused that grin to turn into a grimace. "Don't be so down, Anko. You're the one that wanted to get into the fight with Tayuya, remember?" He chuckled at that, causing the woman to cross her arms under her impressive bust and turn her nose up in an act of feigned indignation.


	2. Chapter II

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter II**

The group of five finally found themselves in Saunus Village after two hours of travel. Anko had been grumbling and fidgeting the entire time, restless and wanting to attack something. More than a few times she had to be restrained from attacking Guren as a reaction to comments by the colder woman. She was the happiest that they had finally arrived, for sure.

Saunus itself was large enough for thirty or forty families to live in, so it could hardly be called a village. Most of the commercial buildings were set up on the main road through it, though there were some side roads that led to other businesses and residences. If Naruto had to guess, he'd say that there were fifty or sixty buildings within the large – though crumbling due to several years of disrepair – walls of Saunus. They had entered through one of the _very_ large holes in said wall that was evidence of the Grimm attack that originally destroyed the settlement. Speaking of Grimm…

"Bloodbugs!" Isaribi warned the team as she pointed to a small swarm of mosquito-looking Grimm that were quickly approaching their group. Each one was roughly the size of a large dog and mostly made of the white exoskeleton so common amongst insectoid Grimm. Their masks extended into a large and dangerous proboscis that it used to drink the blood of its victims. Naruto activated one of his Semblances – his eyes taking on a glassy appearance as he did so – to extend and sharpen his eyesight.

"Nine. They all look like they're hatchlings, so there's not much to worry about." To his left, Anko was impatiently moving, nearly jumping in place as she looked at him. "Fine, let Anko do it, I guess." Before he had even finished the word 'Anko', the girl was gone. Her weapon of choice was a pair of Dust-coated daggers with blades about ten inches in length and curved. Swiftly, she took out one of them with a cross-slash that tore through even the exoskeleton, leaving it in two pieces that were turning to dust before they even hit the ground.

This gained the attention of the others, and they all changed direction to attack her. This only seemed to make Anko grin wider as she jumped above one that dove for her. Angling her body, she landed heavily on another of them and slashed off its fragile wings. Just before it hit the ground, she jumped off and forced it further into the ground with the motion. Flipping in the air, she thrust her right arm forward. From her long sleeve, a large python jumped out and wrapped itself around one of the hatchlings, constricting the giant bug tightly enough to kill it.

Anko herself rolled into the ground before popping back up, already in a stance as she reached her feet. Six Grimm eyed her a bit more warily, but she wasn't about to lose her chance at a battle this quickly! Anko did something extremely stupid to any outside observer. She _threw_ her blades at the Grimm. With extreme precision, they struck in between the eyes of both of her targets, killing them instantly. The other four saw this as a chance and rushed forward just as her Aura glowed a dangerous and sickly green. Her hands became coated in what appeared to be fire, but it was green instead of orange. "Let's go!" She shouted with a wide grin, spinning around one that tried to turn her into a shish kebab. As she spun, her right hand struck it with the palm. Within an instant, the _entire_ thing became coated in that sickly-colored fire. It was at that moment that Yuukimaru – who hardly ventured out of the Compound if he were to be honest – learned that Grimm could scream in pain. It wasn't quite a scream more as… erratic clicking that exponentially increased in pitch until suddenly dying off.

"Wh-what is that?" Yuukimaru asked, never having seen Anko fight before.

"Oh, that's Anko's Semblance at work," Naruto explained to the slightly older boy. "It's called Apothecary and allows her to 'poison' things with her Aura. In this case, she's using a Fire Spell with the Dust infused in her clothing and her Semblance at the same time. The result… a fire that spreads through your blood and burns you from the inside out, forcing you to feel every bit of it because it doesn't kill off your nerve endings as quickly as normal fire would. On Grimm, as they don't have blood, it's worse. Instead, it attacks each individual particle of Blight, the black dust that makes them up." By this point, the remaining three Bloodbugs had been taken care of and Anko retrieved her blades, walking back to the group.

"Well, that was fun. I hope that there's more though…"

"Don't forget, Anko, there are several nests in this village,Guren responded. "You will have plenty of opportunities to play to your adrenaline addiction while we're here." Anko grinned widely at that.

"That's great to hear!" This only caused the older woman to sigh and shake her head. "So, where's the hospital?" Naruto took the opportunity to point to a building down the side street that the bugs had come from. It was tall, perhaps six stories high with several broken windows and no lights. Atop the building, there were several Greater Nevermore staring down at the village while smaller Nevermore flew in the air around the building itself. The ground was prowling with Beowolves, on the other hand. "Huh, so the hospital is a Nest?" She asked.

"It seems so…" Naruto said with a bit of worry. "Beowolf and Nevermore, plus whatever we have to deal with inside the hospital itself. Okay, we need to stick together and not split up no matter what, alright?" He looked at the other members of the team, who all nodded. "I didn't know that we were dealing with a Nest, but it should be okay if we only explore the first and second floors and come back later with reinforcements later."

"Aye, Captain!" Anko stated with a mock salute and a wide grin as she activated her Apothecary Semblance and became surrounded in that green Aura. Guren's own Aura became purple as amethyst blades grew from her arms. Isaribi pulled out a spear that had several blue crystals embedded into it, at the ready. Yuukimaru held a staff with a hook on the end of it, a strange mist exuding from his own Aura as his eyes filled with a fire.

Naruto clenched his fists as his Aura shifted to a deep and burning red. Upon blinking, blue eyes shifted to crimson and round pupils became slit. "Let's have some fun!" Kurama shouted as the quintet rushed forward.

All else became meaningless to Kurama as he saw the enemies before him. The world may as well have been empty aside from the Grimm before him and himself as a familiar feeling spread like warm blood through his being. He could feel his adrenaline pumping as anger at these _things_ fueled him. They wanted to hurt Naruto, so they _had_ to die! He would take _great_ pleasure in ensuring that they paid for the capital sin of existing. As his thoughts turned dark, Kurama felt his nails hardening and sharpening: the only weapon he had ever needed. Rolling beneath a sloppy swipe from one of the surprised Beowolf, Kurama raked his deadly claw across its midsection as electricity coursed through his Aura, ensuring that it died _painfully_. He didn't even look back at the lupine-looking abomination and simply continued to the next obstruction.

That's all they were. They were obstructions; not to him, to Naruto. These were things that _dared_ to exist in opposition to Naruto and for that… they had to die, to cease existing. Kurama would accept nothing less. That's why he could do this, to take such _ecstasy_ from what he did. He was ensuring Naruto's continued happiness for every new person he killed and took their Semblance, for every Grimm he forced to revert into Blight he was making sure that Naruto could find happiness in life.

Sparks danced over Kurama's entire body at this point, and he used the increased damage potential of the voltage to the best he could. Interestingly enough, it also seemed to allow him to push his muscles harder than usual. He noticed an increase in his speed and his strength as he used it; that would be something to inform Yami of. Tearing through three other wolves like a hot knife through butter, Kurama noted that he had somehow been both cut off from the rest of the group _and_ surrounded by about a dozen of the beasts. He let out a low, guttural growl that seemed to cause the Grimm to pause, even if only momentarily. "So you think you can box me in? I'll show you what happens to those who mess with him!" With that, Kurama's Aura turned into that dull brown from the Schnee base as he stomped his foot into the ground.

The dozen or so Grimm that thought to target him soon found spears made of the stone from underground rushing forth to pierce them in several places at once. All any of them could do was for one of them to make a slightly confused whine before they all erupted into that black dust. Leaving the spears – which were still connected to the ground – as the only evidence they'd ever been there, Kurama moved past them and towards the entrance of the hospital. The others were already gathered and waiting.

"Didn't Naruto say to stay together?" Isaribi wondered with a slight smirk, causing Kurama to scowl.

"You don't have to tell me what I already know, fish brain. Not my fault that I have so many different Auras that Grimm are naturally attracted to me more than all of you."

"You act like you dislike having so many people to fight,"Guren noted, causing the frown to break into a near-mad grin. "I thought so. Shall we make our move then?" Kurama took point with Guren and Anko behind and to either side of him. Isaribi was to Anko's left while Yuukimaru took Guren's right side so they made their way in a narrow V-formation.

Immediately upon entering the lobby, the group was faced with the fact they were in a Grimm Nest as all semblance of furniture and technology that had once existed here was destroyed. On top of that, there were many corpses, some decomposed into only skeletal remains while some still had flesh but weren't rotting yet. That spoke of just how recently they had been brought here. Kurama twisted his nose in disgust. Unfortunately having the electricity move through his body also seemed to enhance his sensory organs, so he shut it off. Even doing that, the smell was harsh. It wasn't enough to make him nauseous – he had been around death far too often to feel sick at its sight or smell anymore – but it was still annoying.

"Wh-what is this…?" Isaribi asked while Yuukimaru couldn't even move when they looked upon the scene. Ah, that's right. They weren't in the lab for long before the Fang saved them. On top of that, the two of them hadn't been on many missions where they might see humans or Faunus that would already be dead. Perhaps Naruto had been hasty in assembling them? While their Semblances made them great for this type of scavenging mission, they were a tad inexperienced with death. Kurama felt something weird but smiled even as he felt himself pulled back inside.

"This is what happens when a settlement loses to the Grimm," Naruto stated. His voice lacked its usual flare, his usual friendliness, and excitement. It was cold. "They're creatures so dark they can't even be called evil. The embodiment of all the negativity of the world rolled into a single being. The feed on the negativity, on our fear and anger and hatred, and are attracted to it like a thief to jewels. That's all they are… thieves." The boy who usually appeared carefree and jovial clenched his fist with a hateful grimace twisting his lips. "They're all monsters! Monsters without souls!" He then turned to the younger members behind in the back row. "You can't let them win. No matter who they take, you _can't_ give up. That's what we do, we don't give up even after everything that has happened to us. Even after what Orochimaru did to us, we didn't give up. Nii-san and nee-san, they helped us out of that place with the help of the Fang, they do the same. They don't give up, even with everyone stacked against them. We _will_ win. To those who try and take what we hold as precious… there's only one option."

This drove the turtle and fish Faunus away from thoughts of the deceased as they nodded. "You're right, Naruto. We can't let ourselves be stopped by the past. If you can move on… then I should be able to! I can't let someone younger than me be tougher, can I?" Yuukimaru asked with a smile.

Isaribi sighed, breathing deeply. "Yuuki is right, Naruto. We're sorry, it just surprised us is all." Naruto only smiled in response, his normal friendliness back in full force.

"Don't worry about it! It happens to all of us! Still… I don't like this. We should move fast and get out as soon as possible." No one had any objections to that suggestion, so they decided to get out of the lobby and into the hospital proper itself. Through a pair of double doors, they found a hallway of several rooms on either side with a stairway and a pair of elevators at the end of it. "Hm, okay, time to break that rule I made earlier. Anko and Isaribi stick together, Guren and Yuuki stick together and I'll go alone. We check three at a time and if you finish don't move on to another room but help one of the other groups finish their room then we move to the next set whenever we finish the first three rooms, got it?"

"I didn't know you had this leader things already planned out, Naru." Anko purred, trying to get a rise of the boy, but it didn't seem to work given the serious expression he sent her way.

"I'm in charge of everyone here. If anything happens to any of you, then it's on me. I thought a lot about this with Kurama and Yami." He pointed out. "If anyone encounters something they can't handle, don't be afraid to call for help. This is a Nest after all." With that, they separated into their groups and began checking the rooms.

Naruto found himself in what appeared to be a generic check-up room. He figured there would be a lot of these on the first floor. Despite it being something so basic, they were extremely low on supplies so even something like this would help. Pillaging through just what was visible, he could find bandages and empty syringes, tongue depressors and disinfectant. These basic supplies would be helpful, even the 'glorified popsicle sticks' as Anko called them. Focusing on his Aura, Naruto altered its structure and hue until it glowed a shining silver and activated a Semblance he had come to call Hammerspace. Making physical contact with the supplies caused them to disappear, though each one didn't simply erase from existence. Rather, they were now contained within a pocket dimension of sorts that only he could access. He did recall that Kidoumaru had once called it an 'inventory' power.

Just as with an inventory, unfortunately, he had a limit to what he could carry. It seemed to be based on his own personal strength, so increased as he trained, which was certainly a blessing. Given how light the supplies he grabbed were, there was hardly any strain on him by placing them in. When it close to full capacity he'd know; the more objects within it, it more pressure on his mind he could feel. The higher the weight of the collective objects… the more of a headache it gave him. It certainly was useful, but also split his concentration if used too much. With that in mind, he was sure he'd have quite a migraine by the time this was through. Luckily, he had a sort of… loophole.

"Yami, can you take care of the Hammerspace?" He got no response, but even the slight pressure he felt disappeared as he had Yami putting his full focus on the Semblance. Apparently, the power required concentration to stay working, but it didn't care _who_ was concentrated so long as they had some measure of connection to the Aura that was fueling it. With that taken care of, Naruto continued to look through the cabinets until he came across a small Deathstalker in one of them. Without even waiting for it to attack him, he shifted the Aura around his hand to take on his bio-electricity Semblance – he needed a name for it – and created a bolt of electricity that struck the small Grimm dead, dispersing it into dust. Deciding to be a bit more careful given Grimm were taken residence even in these examination rooms, he left his own room to find that the other groups were still searching.

Given Yuuki had some medical knowledge and would be able to instruct Guren the best things they could bring, he decided that Anko probably needed his help more. Entering the room her and Isaribi had entered, he found one nearly identical to where he had just left. There was just one gaping difference, and it was on the wall. Or, more accurately, there was no wall because it had been melted off. He could still see the acidic poison dripping from the hole that was large enough for a Greater Nevermore to fly through.

"Anko, this place is already in disrepair. Don't you think that tearing out a first-floor structure might be a bad idea?" Naruto wondered with a slight smile on his lips as he saw Isaribi wear a confident grin as if she had been explaining the same thing to her. Anko puffed out her cheeks in anger.

"Shut up! I already know that! I can't help it that a swarm of Bloodbugs was in here feeding and tried to attack me all at once! Not all of us have so many Semblances that they can use one precisely for every occasion!" With fists firmly planted on her hips, Anko leveled a glare at the blonde boy who simply shook his head.

"Alright, alright. Let's just get the supplies. Let me see…" Doing a mental check of the choices, Naruto settled on a particular Semblance as his Aura became a bright white. Touching the wall – a part where there was some left, that is – he focused and the girls watched as the wall slowly grew and replaced the parts of it that were broken before it was completely fixed again. Turning to look at them, Anko had her arms crossed and huffed.

"See! My point exactly! Geez, your Semblance is just too unfair…" Naruto only smiled in response. Isaribi looked curious though. "You want to ask me what that was, right?" She nodded. "Architect's Blueprint, it was from one of the scientists at an Atlesian base in the Outlands of Anima that we attacked. It lets me… how to put this… I can cause anything I touch to replicate itself on a path of my choosing. It's handy for repairing things like walls and structures that are made of one substance. It's not creation though, as it absorbs the atoms in the surrounding area to create the structure. In that case, it took some mass from the rest of the building to repair it, so this side is slightly thinner than the other walls now, but,only very slightly."

"Hm… the way Anko talks, I thought you might have some sort of godlike powers." Isaribi muttered.

"No, Anko is just envious." Guren spoke up as she entered the room. "Naruto still suffers the burdens and weaknesses of whatever Semblances he takes, in addition to their gifts and strengths. Of course, he also must take the life of whoever he wishes to gain the Semblance of given it's not so much copying their Aura as… taking it." Isaribi looked at the blonde who nodded.

"Every single Semblance I use is from someone who was a threat to us or who willingly allowed me to have it due to the fact they were dying soon. There's a difference in you taking a life and I. If you take a life, their soul can pass to the next life. If I do it… my Aura consumes their soul and grants me access to not only their Semblance, but adds their Aura to mine and gives me all their memories. It's useful, to be sure, but also dangerous. Luckily I have Kurama and Yami to help me each time. It's… troubling to keep hold of who I am when memories of another's life keep popping up." Shaking his head, Naruto smiled. "Enough of that though, let's just get what's in here and move on. We've got three floors to cover, after all."

 **[][][]**

Several dozen rooms and an increasing amount of Grimm later, the group found themselves finished with the third floor. While it was true to say they were uninjured, to say no one sustained any along the way wasn't. Any time it happened though, Naruto would simply take on their pain and let his healing Semblance fix any problems with himself. Still, after what they had scavenged, Yami wasn't quite able to keep everything done on his own. "I'm glad that it's finally done with, I don't think I could carry much more than this." He muttered before shaking his head.

"I think we should leave immediately then." Guren noted. "And can't Kurama take on a measure of the strain to alleviate you?" Naruto shook his head before stopping and wearing a look that seemed to be pondering. "You have something in mind?" With that, blue drowned under a crimson haze as Kurama took control once more. "Oh?"

"I'm no good with the Hammerspace." Kurama said with a shrug. "Yami is the best at it, given all he ever does up there is concentrate on sifting through everyone's memories. Naruto, he's got lots of brainpower to spare in concentrating on it since he's so smart and got all that medic training from Dr. Nohara. Me? I was literally made for one purpose: murder." He let a grin touch his lips, one full of madness. "I do that well, but anything else isn't really my style. So, I'm in control until we get back. I mean, I can still relay Naruto's messages to everyone, but other than that…"

Guren nodded while the younger two seemed to be somewhat… nervous at the prospect of Kurama being out for so long. It's not to say they were afraid of him turning on them but rather, they were terrified of how _easily_ he killed. He was some sort of monster if ever there was one…

With a new plan, they began making their way back to the stairwell when a high, insane cackling could be heard. From the volume, it seemed to be coming from directly below them. "It sounds like someone else is here." Isaribi commented as she pulled her spear out and did something to it, causing it to mechanically shift into some sort of sniper rifle, aimed at the stairwell. Yuukimaru frowned and activated his cobalt aura, a semi-translucent barrier appearing around the group with his Semblance – Phalanx.

Preparation seemed to be the right course of action as several _hundred_ Nevermore flew through the corridor from the second-floor stairwell. Some rammed into the barrier and rebounded, others continued past and into anywhere they could find, including killing themselves to break past the glass windows, allowing their peers to escape outside. "They're… scared?" Anko wondered curiously before shivering. What could cause so many Grimm to flee in fear?

They learned shortly as a man appeared at the stairwell. He had slick, black hair that was oiled back and pale skin, though most of it was covered. He wore a long-sleeved, black coat lined with fur around the sleeves and collar and a pair of black pants with a black scythe with a trio of red blades instead of the usual one in his right hand. It also seemed to be a static weapon, one that didn't shift form. He let the murder of Nevermore pass and grinned madly upon noticing the group of White Fang members. "Hello there! I am an acolyte of Jashin, come to spread his word to the unfaithful! Do you believe in our almighty savior and lord?"

Before anyone could make a sound or a decision, Kurama stepped forward. No one knew what to expect, but it certainly wasn't what the boy did. "Heretic! Heathen! Infidel! Do not slander the title of the one true lord and savior with your blasphemous lies! Jashin is no being of light, he is no one's savior and you would do well to know your place! I am Kurama, Paladin of the true Lord, Uzumaki-sama!" Everyone was silent, including the man with the scythe. While they were in shock due to the ridiculousness of it all – for instance, the fact that Kurama just called either himself, or Yami, or Naruto some sort of deity – the other man was shocked for a different reason.

"Y-you… You dare to contaminate the air in my presence with that filth?! Only Jashin can claim the title of Holy above all Holies! I shall take great satisfaction in ridding the world of the stain upon it that takes your form! Atone for your sins with the blood of your sacrifice!" Kurama grinned, seemingly proud of his achievement.

"It shall be I that cleanses the world by ridding it of a false prophet of a false god!" He shouted back, lightning coating his figure as he dashed forward faster than the younger members of his team could follow. Guren and Anko made sure to pay attention, however. The other man attempted to swing his scythe for Kurama, but was surprised to find that he missed when the teen slid under the horizontal swing. Using his earth manipulating Semblance – Mother's Embrace – he formed a platform to jump off and aimed a claw swipe for the man who could make Grimm turn tail and run. He wasn't surprised nor disappointed when he was avoided. He was _hoping_ for a good fight from this zealot.

Settling into a stance, Kurama grinned wildly. "Show the strength of your god in your blows, in your style, in this fight and we shall test how strong our faith is!" Kurama commanded. The other man mirrored his smirk, holding his scythe tightly before rushing forward. Spinning around the next swipe, this one vertical and aimed at the floor, Kurama used his momentum to swipe at the man's jacket. He didn't reach flesh, but cotton was sprayed all over the floor which warned the man of the difference in speed. The mild shock from the voltage attached to his opponent's body also warned him to avoid further damage as he jumped away from the Fox Faunus.

"What's your name, Paladin?" The man asked as he shed his coat, a look of respect on his face despite everything. "I'm Hidan, Head Cleric of Jashin, God of Death."

Kurama grinned, liking this whole roleplay thing he had going on. "I am Kurama, Paladin of Uzumaki, God of Life." The other members of the group sighed as they realized that Kurama had just turned Naruto into some sort of god for his own games. "It seems our battle was inevitable, heathen." Kurama grinned as his electricity increased in intensity, causing his hands to glow dangerously, his claws lengthening as he forced the power into a shape.

"Death always overcomes Life, so I shall win, heretic!" Hidan declared as he rushed forward, weapon ready for another attack. Kurama grinned as the bio-electricity he was forcing to enhance his body allowed him to easily evade the attack.

"You cannot touch the Bringer of Life and Absolute Healer!" Kurama replied just as passionately. "The One Who Takes Injuries from Mortal Men and Faunus alike, allowing them to live is not to be taken lightly! He can just as easily return those injuries as he sees fit!" The lightning shell around Kurama's hands shifted to his legs, causing him to become a blur to even Hidan, Guren and Anko. It was no wonder that Hidan lost his weapon and found himself on his back, looking at the ceiling. Kurama appeared before him like some vengeful angel, grin making him look more like a devil. Crouching down next to the man, he simply allowed his index finger to touch Hidan's cheek. There were no sparks. No stolen Semblance was used. This was their original power, Burden.

Immediately, Hidan screamed out loudly as his body was covered in bruises, deep gashes, third degree burns, frostbite and cancerous tumors all at once. Holding the tri-bladed scythe, Kurama used it to stand back up before sending it to Hammerspace. "Behold the power of the God of Life! Just as he taketh away, he giveth back, for he is a merciful god, with a merciless and sadistic Paladin!" Kurama's nearly mad laughter sent a chill down the spines of the younger members of the squad, who already feared him and caused the older members to share a glance as they had lost track of whether this was all a game or what the boy believed. "Hmm… that's new."

Even as it was said, Hidan's injuries seemed to be healing at a rapid pace. The man slowly sat up, then got on his knees, then rose to his feet. "I will not lose!" The man rushed forward and grabbed ahold of Kurama's throat, attempting to strangle him given he lost his blade. Kurama's response was to narrow his eyes and create a visible shell of blue electricity around his neck. Hidan convulsed before he was thrown away from his target, charred hands visibly healing even as everyone watched.

"NO! I WON'T BELIEVE IT! JASHIN IS THE MOST ANCIENT AND POWERFUL GOD!" Hidan shouted at the top of his lungs as he stood back up and ran at Kurama, attempted to hit him across the face. Even without a Semblance, Kurama sidestepped it, angling his foot to trip up the zealot. He fell face-first, but didn't get up this time. Watching the man that they apparently couldn't kill, everyone heard him begin to sob. At first it was quiet, but as it gained intensity, the other members looked at Kurama like he was some sort of bully.

Seeing the pitiful wretch before them, even Kurama found himself feeling something new. It was… was it shame? Guilt? Pity? Or, Naruto forbid – he was enjoying this roleplay far too much – sympathy? Sighing, Kurama turned off his Semblances and crouched down before the man. The others watched as the grimace turned into a wide grin. There was no way this would end well for Naruto.

"Do you see the power of Uzumaki now?" Kurama asked the man, who simply continued. There was even a small puddle of tears and mucus gathering on the floor from how much he was letting out. "If you convert now, then I think he may find use in you. It seems you possess a skill in healing that he finds suitable enough to forgive you for your sins of worshipping another. On top of that, my skills lie in combat. I am his champion, but he lacks a true cleric in his ways." Hidan looked up, tears streaming down his face as he looked at the boy, hope filling his eyes. "In fact…" Kurama seemed to be having an internal conversation. "The truth is, I allow Uzumaki to inhabit my body when he wishes to speak on Remnant. How would you like to learn from Uzumaki himself, train to become his cleric?" The tears continued but Hidan slowly rose to a sitting position.

"He… he would truly accept me and teach me?" The members aside from Kurama watched in amazement as Kurama's strange game had somehow caused a fight and convinced a stranger to become the cleric for a thirteen-year-old kid.

"I think Kurama is insane." Isaribi muttered.

"It'll be amusing seeing how Naruto reacts to all of this though." Anko responded with a grin as the near insane psychopath and the mad zealot conversed.

"Oh, I just know Blake is going to somehow blame this on me…" Guren sighed.

"Don't worry, Guren. We'll just convince Naruto to talk to her. She'll forgive you if we do that." Yuukimaru responded. Guren smiled until she realized that the boy had insinuated it _was_ her fault. Huffing in indignation, the girl crossed her arms. Everyone here was unreasonable. Glancing back at Hidan, who was now conversing with a smiling Naruto, happy to play along and have a new friend, she couldn't help but smile a little. Still… it's not as if she disliked everything about them. They were family after all: one, big, happy and dysfunctional family.


	3. Chapter III

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter III**

Time is a fickle thing. When we notice it, it moves so slowly, as if to bore us. When we give it no mind, however – it tends to speed up behind out backs. What's in the here and now seems so eternal, but it isn't always the case. He found that out the hard way, unfortunately. "You're lying to me, nii-san! She wouldn't do that!" Members of the Fang, both those loyal to Adam and Naruto's family, could hear the argument from the two leaders' office. It wasn't as if the room was sound-proofed, but the combination of Naruto's loud voice and the dead quiet of everyone in the dining hall just outside it, it was easy to make it out. Whatever Adam said couldn't be made out, but Naruto continued. "No, nee-san wouldn't just leave! You're lying! Stop it!"

Inside the office itself, Adam wore a cold mask of indifference. It was a stark difference to Naruto, who was red with anger and barely holding back tears. "She… she didn't even tell me goodbye…" He muttered, looking at the ground, the heat gone from his voice. Tears began to fall slowly to the floor. "Nee-san…" Adam's features softened and he moved closer to the boy, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto, I know how you're feeling. Believe me… I do. Don't worry, I'll bring her back somehow… I'll get her back." The blonde looked up at the redhead, seeing the determination behind his eyes before nodding. Wiping his tears away, he smiled.

"Th-thank you, nii-san. I'm sorry for yelling at you…" Adam chuckled, ruffling the boy's spiky hair.

"Don't worry so much about it, Naruto. I want you to take a break though. Despite how I'm feeling, I think you might take this worse than me given your… condition. With that in mind, I'd like you to spend a few days collecting yourself." The blonde looked as if he were going to argue, but stayed silent and bowed his head slightly before leaving.

As he left the office, he noticed that everyone was looking at him. Smiling – mostly for show – he looked back. "Sorry about that everyone. Please don't mind me." With that said, he walked down a hallway, intent on getting to his room.

It had been seven months since the mission that saw Hidan join the White Fang as a member of Naruto's… was it a retinue that Adam called it? That sounded right. They passed so quickly that he didn't pay much attention to it. In that time, so much had happened and yet… so little that he had control of.

As he opened the door, he noted that said man was sitting on the second bed that had been installed there by the scythe wielder himself. Hidan stood quickly, bowing to the blonde. "Lord Uzumaki, what's wrong?" He asked in a worried tone. Before Naruto could even answer, the man was upon him, checking the boy for any injuries. "Who do I need to sacrifice in your name? Just tell me and your will shall be done!" The blonde smiled at the man, somewhat used to his wording by now. He was… strange, but cared in his own way.

"No, it's fine, Hidan. I don't want you to hurt Blake. She… left the White Fang. It was on the last mission with Adam, she went AWOL and it upset me, but I'll be fine." Hidan seemed skeptical, but dropped the subject. "I was just thinking about how time seems to work against us no matter what our goals are, and this is one of those times." The white-haired man nodded sagely. "Oh? Do you agree?"

"I'm actually very old, Lord Uzumaki. I know I don't look like it, but I was around before the Four Kingdoms even existed." Naruto widened his eyes at that. He knew Hidan had an amazing healing factor – one that even outshined his own – but that was just ridiculous! "Did I impress Lord Uzumaki?" Hidan asked with a hopeful grin. When the blonde nodded, he was surprised to see the man gain a slight blush as he smirked. "I'm glad that Lord Uzumaki thinks so highly of me!"

Truly, a strange man.

"Naruto, can we come in?" He heard a voice that interrupted their conversation. Turning on the Semblance that turned his eyes glassy, his All-Seeing Eye, he noted several people outside his door.

"My room isn't that big. You all want to talk, right? Meet me in the dojo in five minutes." He called back. Looking back at Hidan, he paused. "You're family now too, Hidan. You can come." The acolyte widened his eyes before nodding with a grin. The two stood as Naruto dusted off his clothes.

Seven months was a long time; long enough for a change in wardrobe even. He had traded out the traditional Mistral clothing for something a bit more… practical and inconspicuous. He now wore a long-sleeved and dark red shirt with armored plating from his shoulders and elbows, a blue spiral that closed in on itself emblazoned on the left breast of the shirt. A pair of baggy, cargo pants, steel-toe boots and fingerless gloves finished off the outfit. The now fourteen year old had even gained some height, though he was still nowhere close to the giant that was Hidan.

"Let's go." He motioned to Hidan, who opened the door as the two left. This was something he needed to do. Adam was so insistent back then, after all…

 **[Five Months Ago – Adam's Office]**

"You wanted to see me, nii-san?" Naruto wondered curiously as he stepped into the familiar office of Adam Taurus. They weren't alone though: Blake was there too, as well as a member of both factions from the Fang. While it was true that everyone there was Faunus and wanted to fight, no resistance exists without their own factions. On one hand, you had the Loyalists, the members who joined under the leadership of Ghira Belladonna, Sienna Khan or Adam himself. Then there was the group that had somehow become known as the Clan, all the experiments from the various workshops that Dr. Orochimaru had set up with funding from the Schnee Dust Corporation. While there wasn't much in the way of tension, the Clan still did one thing that the Loyalists didn't approve of. They looked to him first and Adam second.

Naruto noticed that Guren was there to represent the Clan and Ilia was representing the Loyalists, given both were senior members and respected amongst both factions. She looked like any fair-skinned teenager, the same age as Blake. On her arms and legs, she had several spots that were somewhat darker than the rest of her skin and wore her brown hair in a ponytail that curled at the end, like a chameleon's tail. Greyish-blue eyes met his own cerulean ones with a small smile. As for clothing, she wore a sleeveless, one-piece wetsuit with short legs, exposing much of her arms and legs, the whole thing very dark in hue. On her feet were a pair of boots and she wore a single, black glove on her right hand.

"Yes, I'm glad you could come. I'm sure you've already roughly figured out why you're here?" Naruto nodded. "Good, then I don't really need to explain about that. While tensions are low, they _have_ been slightly increasing whenever you go on missions. It's no fault of your own, mind you. Some of our more… passionate members have had small skirmishes in the way of spars going a bit too far. Luckily they've been separated before anything too dangerous happened. While nothing has come of it, I _would_ like to stop anything from coming right here and right now. After talking to both sides, I think I've come to a decision that will help us." Naruto tilted his head in curiosity.

"I'm happy to help if I can, nii-san. I don't know what I can do though. I didn't even tell any of them to start following me, you know. All I wanted was to help other people that Orochimaru hurt find a family they could talk to about things that we went through. This went way past anything I intended."

"As things so often do, when you're involved…" Adam remarked with a sigh before shaking his head. "Regardless of that, my decision is rather simple. You see, the White Fang proper is set up like that of a Kingdom's military. Sienna Khan is our General, as you might expect. Then there are four below him that oversee all the members in each Kingdom, we're the Lieutenants. I'm Lieutenant of the Velian Branch. I lead the Velian Corps and all surrounding branches that lie in the surrounding wastelands. It goes on, but I won't bore you with that. What I will do is explain that I'd like to fix this problem by making the Clan its own platoon of the Velian Corps. There's certainly enough of you and likely to be more we discover, unfortunately." Naruto seemed to be confused, so Adam explained further.

"In essence, I'd like to give you the rank of Captain and make you a proper leader on paper since you already have enough support unofficially that it's become a potential problem. What that means is that while you'll still be part of this branch, you have the power to go on any mission you want and assign your members to missions yourself. With that power, also comes with some responsibility, but I'm sure you'll have Yami studying all the obligations anyways, so I'll have Blake give you the proper texts when we're done here. The most important part is that if the Clan is officially under you as their leader, it should ease any tensions. Of course, there may be a few Faunus foolish enough to try and test your mettle as a superior officer in spars, but I'm sure Kurama and Hidan will just find amusement, so it should pass very quickly."

Naruto was silent a moment, soaking in everything he'd been told. "So, you want to give me an official rank that's just one degree of separation below yours and make the Clan my subordinates. It comes with several rights and responsibilities, plus some power and authority. If we do this, you really think it'll keep the two groups from escalating further?" Adam nodded.

"From what Ilia and Guren here have told me, they seem to agree." Naruto smiled and nodded.

"Well, if you think it'll help, sure! Just call me Captain Naruto Uzumaki!" He saluted with a small grin. Guren chuckled at the exchange. Under normal circumstances she might think being led by a child was demeaning and an insult to her own personal strength. In this case, however… she'd be glad if she never had to prove her strength against Kurama again. That was the stuff of nightmares…

 **[Present – White Fang Training Grounds "Dojo"]**

While Naruto had referred to the meeting place as a dojo, that was more of a codename. In actuality, it was just a large training ground that just happened to be designated for sparring. Perhaps it was his Mistralian heritage that made him call it that. It didn't matter very much right now though. He had bigger problems to worry about.

Hidan trailed behind the blonde as he made his way through the open space, hundreds of Faunus watching his every move. This was the Clan, a group of roughly 600 experiments of the late Dr. Orochimaru that were loyal to each other and somehow looked to a fourteen year old for guidance and leadership. When he finally found his way before them, the blonde smiled. "Hello everyone. You know… time is funny." From the look on their faces, that was not what they expected him to say. "It can slow to a crawl or move faster than a blink of an eye, but the sad fact is that it's always moving forward. We can't stop it to appreciate what we have and if we aren't careful those things will just…" He held his hand up, clamped into a fist before it opened. "Slip away into the wind.

"Just the same, we can't turn back the dial. History is, unfortunately, set in stone and unchangeable by even the strongest among us. Even I, who can use any and every Semblance I take from others… even I can't change what's already happened. If I could do that, I would give up this family I have, the one thing that makes me the happiest in the world, to make sure none of you were taken to that lab. I can't. Just as I can't change that no matter how much I wish, I can't change what my nee-san decided to do." Everyone looked at the boy with bated breath, curious about his next words. "The Loyalists will probably name her a traitor to the cause and demand either her capture or execution, ignoring any and everything that she's done for them and the bonds they once had with her.

"We're better than that." Naruto narrowed his eyes. All the pent-up frustration that was left in regards to Blake's departure was obvious in his demeanor. The fury, the sadness, the betrayal, it was all in his eyes. "We are the Clan, a family of those who have suffered at the hands of those who care not for the bonds we had. Blake left us, but that doesn't mean we'll leave her. We aren't going to cut our bonds just because she wanted a different path in life. And we aren't going to cut our ties with the Fang and chase after her. We're better than that. What we _are_ doing is going to change though. I was complacent in my status and allowed us to stay here but this has taught me something. Time doesn't wait for us and we might lose each other at any moment. Starting from today we're going to become a proper militia and hold true to our bonds! Starting today, the Clan is going to come first and we'll make sure none of us leave the world unannounced! Starting today, the Clan will well and truly be a force to be reckoned with!"

The former experiments couldn't help but follow the rising enthusiasm Naruto exuded as his speech reached its climax and cheered. They weren't quite sure what he had planned… but between the charismatic Naruto, the unbeatable Kurama and the genius Yami, there was nothing that their leader couldn't accomplish. They may have begun separate, but just as Naruto had unified his three souls under a common banner, they were sure he would do the same for the Clan. Nothing would stop them!

 **[Ten Days Later – "War Room"]**

The War Room, as it was called, was a part of the base that wasn't often used. A large chamber with a single, large table with maps of every part of both Vale and the immediately surrounding wastes of Remnant. The maps labeled known settlements, Grimm nests, bandit tribe movements and military bases and updated based on intelligence on the digital and holographic screens.

Now, to say it wasn't used often wasn't quite right. It was used, just not for its purpose. Usually Yami would come in and study the maps religiously, or Adam would come alone to plan new missions. Simply, it wasn't used as a collaborative amongst high ranking officers to discuss the most important missions. That… that changed today with _her_ arrival.

"This is quite the outfit you've got here, _Lieutenant_." The title was dripping with so much sarcasm, Naruto wondered how she didn't choke on it. She had silky black hair that ran over one shoulder and covered one eye, the other shining a bright amber. Fair skin was shown abundantly thanks to her red dress, and it was barely even that. Crimson, detached sleeves with gold designs running from wrist to forearm, with red nails, though kept trimmed and pristine unlike his own claws. Her dress itself was slit on one side, showing her entire thigh and had a hem that barely covered her genitals. The term mini-dress didn't even begin to describe it. Finally, a pair of black heels with an ankle bracelet on her left leg completed the ensemble. This was Cinder Fall, the… new leader of the Velian Corps.

He didn't understand it, but even Kurama had no wish to fight her. No… that was dishonest, he understood why. One of the interesting effects of his All-Seeing Eye was the ability to see _everything_ about one's Aura and power. He could tell the exact shade of their Aura, the volume, the density, the quality and how you were channeling it. When he looked at Cinder… he was nearly blinded due to how _vast_ and _bright_ hers was.

Unlike other days, Adam was wearing his mask inside the base. In fact, the Loyalists had started wearing their masks inside the base ever since she and her people arrived. The Clan, they wouldn't let her make them scared. They would proudly show their faces just as they always had. Cinder wouldn't take their dignity from them, he made sure of it.

As if noticing his thoughts, the woman turned from the 3-d hologram of Remnant to him, curiosity alight in her eye. "Oh~? I don't think we've met, little one." Approaching the blonde, Naruto noticed that the other officers had bated breath as the woman who beat _Adam_ approached him. She knelt until their eyes were level, but not one of the male Faunus dared to try and catch a peek despite the opportunity. "And what's your name?"

Naruto met her eyes, pride in himself, pride in Adam and pride in his family keeping him from acting any other way. "Captain Naruto Uzumaki, commanding officer of the White Fang, Vale Corps, Clan Division." Cinder seemed amused at the concept of someone young as him being ranked so highly as she patted his head, her one eye closing as she smiled.

"Of course you are. This is grown-up time, so go on and play outside." Naruto felt himself growing angry at the way the woman… disregarded him and his position. He would _not_ allow his family to have no representation at this meeting. He found that he could feel Kurama growing more unstable than usual, and even Yami was exuding a cold sort of hatred. "Ow!" She quickly pulled her hand back as Naruto's body danced with sparks, his eyes changed in a way the others hadn't seen in some time – a deep purple.

"I will not be disregarded as a child." Yami explained in a cold voice that felt harsher than an Atlesian winter. "I have been the chief strategist for far too long to allow some newcomer to think she understands the dynamics of our family to force me to leave." Cinder looked at him with cold eyes before stepping back. Her two bodyguards appeared just then, both looking at him.

The first was a silver-haired boy with a black and grey shirt, armored sleeves and black pants with a pair of boots on his feet. Dark eyes showed boredom at the prospect of fighting such a small kid. The other was a darker-skinned girl with mint green hair cut in a bob cut with two strands extending past that in the shape of antennae down her back. She wore a forest green tube top with spaghetti straps that was little more than a glorified sports bra and a pair a pair of matching capris, leather chaps over those and two guns holstered on the back of her waist in an X-formation. "Tell the child to back down if you don't want him to be hurt." Cinder warned Adam, who seemed to be somewhere in between wanting to show Cinder how powerful his soldiers were and following the order.

"Let him prove his worth in being here." Adam's response made Yami smile, even if only slightly, as he glared coldly at the two bodyguards: Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. Cinder hummed in amusement before giving them the signal. The officers all stood along the wall, aware of how much damage this could cause.

"While I wish it were not the case, Naruto will probably heal you two after our fight." Yami stated, confusing the three newcomers as they didn't know about the boy's 'condition'. "Still, it does mean I don't have to hold back, so at least there's that." Yami held out his hand as he opened Hammerspace, a pair of short swords appearing in his hands. "Kurama might have bloodied you up as much as possible, but he's not the one who has to clean up, so I'll make this quick. Pay attention, Hidan!" Said acolyte, who had been behind Naruto the whole time, nodded at Yami. "Fixing your form has been paramount, and this will showcase the difference between a beserker like Kurama and someone more refined like myself."

"O-of course, Lord Uzumaki!" With that, Yami's form covered itself in lightning, swords included, as he rushed forward. Mercury blocked the initial strike with his boots, surprising Yami by snapping their steel itself with the Dust rounds he released upon kicking. Not one to be shocked so easily, Yami rolled under the next kick, releasing the swords as he kicked off from the ground. Where his foot pushed from, a large spear of cement rose, which Mercury didn't quite dodge. Luckily, the armor over his sleeve was enough to keep him from being injured, but it was dented from the force behind it. While that happened, Yami was headed for Emerald, swiping with his claw for her face. Quickly backpedaling, she aimed her pistols at him and let loose.

Glassy eyes showed him their paths and he used precise bolts to knock each of them off-course, only aiming for one that would hit him. As a side-effect to using this ability, it opened his vision so that he could keep an eye on both, even though Emerald was in front and Mercury was behind him. As Mercury came for a roundhouse kick to the back of Yami's head, he moved forward, launching small bolts of his bio-electricity from his back to jolt the boy. Jumping back so they were both in front of him, his Aura then glowed an icy blue as he used the Dust infused in one of his gloves. Swiping with his claw, three large spikes of ice launched at Mercury, who was still recovering from the paralytic effect of his previous attack.

Emerald widened her eyes and shot them, knocking them off-course enough for Mercury to dodge them despite his sluggish movement. Focusing on the spikes, they weren't paying enough attention to the boy himself as he appeared behind the mint-haired girl with a steel rod in hand he had pulled from Hammerspace. It danced dangerously with a blue aura from his Semblance, which he had finally named First Spark. Focusing the Semblance around a part of himself – or an object he was touching – he could create a shell of lightning. The cost was that, of course, he couldn't use the Semblance on any other part of himself when he did. It was turning a support ability into complete offense at the cost of all the perks the support aspect offered.

Emerald could only cry out as the rod slammed into the side of her head, shocked – in both a literal and metaphorical sense – into submission. With his teammate down and the effects of his own electrocution gone, Mercury looked at the boy with complete focus and – dare he think it? – amusement. Watching Yami's movements, the silver-haired teen rushed forward. Without the speed boost of First Spark, there was no way he could keep up with a martial artist as skilled as him, so he transported the rod back to Hammerspace and channeled it to his legs, spinning around the bicycle kick that Mercury tried to hit him with.

Violet eyes met black before they rushed at each other again. Mercury aimed a flurry of kicks at him, which Yami expertly dodged thanks to a combination of All-Seeing Eyes and First Spark. Watching for any openings, he finally found one as his opponent overreached with one of his roundhouse kicks. Slamming a palm into the boy, Yami coursed First Spark into his palm and launched Mercury into one of the walls from the extra energy it added. He was out before he even left the ground.

Turning to look at Cinder, she wore an amused smile. She wasn't looking at him like a child anymore but like… like a toy you wanted and belonged to someone else. A toy you were going to steal because you didn't like the person who owned it anyways. He filed that away for later as glassy violet gave way to bright cerulean. Naruto watched as Cinder slowly clapped. "Well, I see that I certainly underrated you. I have no issue with a warrior as skilled as you being here. Please, do stay. It should be… interesting." Naruto ignored her and made his way to Emerald, as she was closer. Placing a hand on her back, he didn't care that Cinder was watching as the welt she sustained appeared on him before quickly healing.

He was at Mercury's side doing the same thing by the time she came to. By the time she stood, he was already back in his original spot, Hidan behind him with a grin on his lips. "What's with that stupid grin on your face?" Mercury asked the acolyte as he walked past, angry for letting a _kid_ get the best of him.

"Don't you see?" Hidan asked, gaining the attention of Mercury, Emerald and Cinder. "This is the power of Lord Uzumaki, and the mercy. My Lord and Savior, the one True God of Life, he punished you for your sins and brought you back to full health! Just as he taketh, he giveth back! The mercy of Lord Uzumaki is great, for he shall treat even those that would see him dead! He would heal a noble lord or a wretched vagrant equally, taking their pain unto himself so that they might live unshackled by the bonds of injury and illness! Praise be to his name! Praise be to the God of Life!"

Unprepared for Hidan's… way of talking, Cinder was surprised that the other officers acted as if this was nothing special. The man before her was surely mad, and she couldn't quite discern what his relation to the young warrior was. One thing was for certain: he was a human accepted by the White Fang, so he was surely powerful. Her Lady would surely want to know about these two. "Shall we get to the matter of our plans then?" She asked, putting that thought aside for now. All in good time.


	4. Chapter IV

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter IV**

 **[Two Months Later]**

"Kisame Hoshigaki reporting a mission success for Squad Mist." Yami looked up from the desk he was doing paperwork at and nodded, handing control back to Naruto, who motioned for the Shark Faunus to continue. He had blue skin, beady black eyes and gills with no hair to speak of on his body to speak of – these being a result of Orochimaru's experimentation to make Faunus DNA more pronounced in a half-Faunus who showed no traits. He wore a sleeveless black shirt that showed his muscular frame, an armored vest over that and a pair of baggy, black pants with the legs tucked into his boots. On his back he carried an overly large weapon wrapped in bandages. He was the leader of a squad of 10 Clan members who came to be known as Squad Mist given their reliance on Isaribi's ability to manipulate water to cover the area in mist, killing all enemies within silently.

"Thank you, Kisame. Go ahead and deliver your report then. I'll have Yami write everything later from the recording." Naruto motioned to the room they sat in. Well, truth be told, it was a large tent. That said, there was enough Lightning Dust to give him access to the modern essentials, like bugging his own tent.

"Well, we headed to Mountain Glenn, just like ya said. At first we thought it was just an abandoned metropolis, but when we looked into it, we found some interesting things. First, the Dust mines are all still intact underground. We didn't go all the way through them, but aside from some cave Grimm, there isn't anything down there aside from some mining equipment suffering from disrepair and _lots_ of unrefined Dust. Aboveground, there's still stock in plenty of shops, things that were imperishable anyways. There's also some pre-war tech in the city, but I don't really get the functions of most of them. Hm… there wasn't really anything threatening us there, though there's a Nest of Ursa in the western section of the city and a herd of Goliath that seems to make its home a short distance away." Naruto nodded, taking the information in.

"Thank you, Kisame. It helps knowing all of that."

"So, why were we doing reconnaissance on a place like that anyways?" Kisame wondered. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't on orders of Adam or Cinder." Naruto shook his head, causing the man to grin. When he did, he showcased a mouth full of serrated teeth.

"To tell you the truth, I'm looking for a base of operations we can work from. While this part of the wasteland is… nice given its far away from Her Royal Highness, I would rather something more practical for hiding all of us – from her and from the Huntsman. They've been getting a little _too_ close to our camp for my liking." The blonde shook his head. "The last thing we need is a dead Huntsman causing an investigation of this area." Naruto stood, dusting his outfit off. It had changed again, at insistence from a few of his higher-ranking officers. In its place, he now had a long-sleeved black shirt with armor covering his sleeves and torso. Below that, he had returned to his hakama pants, the legs tucked into his boots. Given his spikes had been getting a bit too long, he'd also taken to wearing a headband to keep them from blocking his vision.

"Captain?" Kisame asked, curious why the boy had risen. Naruto smiled, gesturing for the Shark Faunus to follow him as he left the tent. As he did, he could see the scores of other tents in the Clan's camp. "Where are we going?"

"Oh, nowhere special. You know, with your squad back, there aren't any members of the Clan out on missions currently. It hasn't been like that ever since we moved here six weeks ago. Isn't it nice when the whole family is together?" Kisame nodded slowly, still not understanding his leader. That said, Kurama was just about the only one he understood. Kurama liked to fight; he liked to fight. They just got each other. "That said, it won't last long." Kisame tilted his head in curiosity as Naruto said that, walking into a tent.

"Captain." Guren stood as he entered. She was the only one in the Major's Tent currently. It was the place where the officers directly beneath Naruto gathered whenever he needed to speak to them as a group. It also acted as their base of operations in terms of handing out missions, doing paperwork and keeping track of their subordinates.

"Hello Guren. I see the others aren't here. That's fine, I wanted to talk to you anyways since you're the best at organizing things like this. Kisame and his squad are going to help you." Kisame and Guren looked at each other in confusion, not getting what he was talking about. "I have to leave for a time for something… unfortunate. In the meantime, the Majors are in charge. I trust you. What I want is for you to tear the camp down and transport everyone to Mountain Glenn. It will be our new base of operations from here on. Explain to the Clan that I apologize, but I've been called away by Her Royal Highness." Guren frowned but nodded. "Also, I'm taking Hidan with me. You know how he can't function if I'm not there to watch over him."

"You're telling me. Last time you left for a week, he tried holding sermons in your honor and convincing the local villages of your divinity. I think that cult is still there…" Guren shook her head in dismay. "That said, good luck in whatever you'll be doing. You're definitely going to need it." The blonde sighed. Unfortunately, she was right. That woman was surely a devil in disguise… or working for one.

With that, he left the tent and activated his All-Seeing Eyes before finding his loyal acolyte. He was currently sleeping in one of the barracks. From what Naruto could tell, he was also alone. Most of the members were out and about doing one thing or another at this time of day anyways, so it was to be expected. Hidan was nocturnal though, going out and performing all manner of 'ritual sacrifices' in his name. Honestly, the fact that Naruto could channel the man's devotion into anything productive was a gift unto itself. It lowered the threat of their exposure by several magnitudes.

"Wake up Hidan, we're leaving." Naruto spoke. He didn't even touch the man as he knew just the sound of his voice…

"Right away, Lord Uzumaki!" The man stood upright immediately, scythe in one hand as he grinned wide. Naruto turned back and headed out the tent, knowing the man would follow. "Where are we headed?" Hidan asked as they left the camp, walking east, towards Vale.

"Cinder wants my help on something again." He explained. "I'd rather you with me than at the camp. Plus, they're going to be moving things to our new base. By the time we're finished, things should be set up. It's in an abandoned, pre-war city, so there will be lots of Grimm nests to destroy and plenty of buildings to do as we will with them." Hidan opened his mouth to speak, excitement clear in his eyes. "Yes, you can take whatever church is in the city as your own. I owe you that much, right?" Naruto smiled as he saw Hidan's eyes light up like a child being told they could get anything they wanted from a toy store, no matter the price.

Thus began the long walk to Cinder's base. That is, the base that formerly belonged to Adam and the Velian White Fang.

 **[Two Days Later]**

Naruto was disappointed, but not surprised, when he arrived at the base and couldn't find a single member that was maskless. _Cinder's changed the Fang, they aren't acting like a family anymore._ He thought to himself. _The missions are more violent, and we're not just killing SDC or anti-Faunus groups anymore. We're stealing Dust, keeping others from being able to protect themselves. I don't know if you knew this is where we were going, nee-san, but I think I understand why you left._

Shaking those thoughts away, Naruto led a silent Hidan through the base to the small airfield they'd set up. It wasn't much, but Adam _had_ gotten ahold of a few aircraft. Two Bullheads and various smaller craft that the Fang only used when long-distance travel needed to be done quickly. There wasn't enough to evacuate even half of the members, so what they had stayed on base as much as possible to ensure that they could evacuate as many people if the need arose.

"Ah, you're here, Naruto!" The blonde had to hold back a grimace as he heard Cinder's voice, turning to look at the woman with a half-smile that was obviously fake. His feigned smile turned to confusion as he saw two new additions to her retinue. The first was a rather tall man with orange hair that covered one eye, the other a bright green with eyeliner applied, contrasting against his pale tone. He wore a white coat that stretched to his mid-thigh, black gloves, black dress pants and a pair of brown boots, leaning against a cane he held in his right hand.

The other was… odd. She stood only a tad taller than him, despite wearing heals, and was looking at him with interest. Her hair was half brown and half pink, split where it parted, and came down her back. Her eyes were the same colors, but on the opposite sides. She also wore a coat, hers white with a pink interior, but it only covered her bust in the front, while the back came to her thighs. Beneath the coat, she wore a vertically stitched, black shirt that didn't quite reach her pants, showing off a little of her midriff. Black pants kept up by a plain looking belt were tucked into a pair of knee-high, white, heeled boots that were studded from ankle to knee. To finish the ensemble, she also wore a necklace and held a closed umbrella in her hand, resting on her shoulder.

"Who are these, Cinder?" Naruto asked in curiosity, forgetting his hatred of the woman for a moment. The ravenette grinned, motioning for the boy to approach. When she noticed Hidan, her smile grew only slightly, but still enough for him to notice.

"Roman Torchwick, career criminal and the best thief that Vale can offer." She introduced the orange-haired man, with a wave. Roman tipped his hat slightly to the boy. "Neopolitan, his lovely assistant and assassin." Neo, as Naruto shortened her name in his head, smiled one of those deranged, near mad smiles that Kurama so enjoyed. Oh, what fun. "This is Hidan, the unkillable berserker." She introduced Naruto's acolyte then motioned to the boy himself. "Naruto Uzumaki, child prodigy and leader of the White Fang's Clan." Roman tilted his head in confusion.

"You don't look like a Faunus." He expressed. Naruto narrowed his eyes but sighed. He may as well get this out the way. Lifting his hand up to his head, he pulled back his hair to show two stubs of cartilage that rested there, barely poking out of his scalp.

"I was a prisoner of Dr. Orochimaru of the Schnee Dust Corporation. He sought to test the limits of my healing factor and so he removed several parts of my body. When it came to my ears, they never grew back. Something about the Semblance being made for reptilian Faunus and not mammalian. So no, I don't appear Faunus. Still, I use that to my advantage when I go into settlements." Roman chuckled while Neo just looked at him.

"I like him. He's way better than those other two children you drag around." Something seemed to light up in Roman's head before he grinned and looked at the blonde again. "Wait… you wouldn't happen to be the kid that beat Mercury and Emerald in a two-on-one fight, would you?" Naruto nodded. Roman then began to laugh long and hard before slowly straightening up, clapping the boy on the shoulder. "Kid, you're alright in my book. Let's go." Naruto looked at the man, unsure, then turned to Cinder.

"Oh, you still don't know why I called you. There is a man in Vale, an owner of a club that happens to also run his own gang. He's an information broker, the best in the Kingdom. I happen to need something from him. I'm only sending you as… assurance that the others come back alive, you see. The fact that you brought your acolyte is all the better." Naruto sighed but nodded, following Roman into the vessel. It was a Streamer, a much smaller craft than the Bullheads. Holding up to four people aside from the pilot and co-pilot in an area behind the cockpit, it was ideal for small parties. Slim wings and an aerodynamic frame as well as Dust propulsion engines made it one of the more agile craft as well. It's only disadvantage was the smaller fuel reserve it could carry, but it was still more than enough to make it to Vale and back. The trip would probably only take about half an hour to get to Vale, assuming Roman already had a landing pad in mind.

As Roman took his seat in the cockpit and Neo sat in the passenger area, Naruto looked at his acolyte. "Hidan, you have some pilot experience, right?" The acolyte nodded slowly.

"Yes, Lord Uzumaki. I learned back during the war and had several dogfights with the infidels who refused to convert!" He grinned before shaking his head. "Of course, that was before I learned of the true God, please forgive me." He bowed his head in shame until Naruto smiled and patted his back.

"Can you go help Roman as co-pilot then? I'm afraid that's one skill I don't possess." Hidan understood before heading into the cockpit and explaining to Roman that he would help him. Shutting the door that separated the two areas, Naruto took a seat, across from the girl. "Neo, was it?" He asked, attempting to start a conversation with the girl. Otherwise this would be a long flight.

The girl looked at him silently before nodding. She then gave off that psychotic smile that Naruto recognized all too well. "You… I can tell you're powerful." She stated in a raspy voice, as if she was unused to talking. Her umbrella lay in her lap, which she was squeezing in both hands as if she was in deep pain. "It's… exciting me. Your… Aura is so immense… It has so much death in it…" The girl then licked her lips as she leaned forward, the cramped area of the passenger area making it so that their faces were close. They were so close that he could feel her hot, shaky breath and smell her scent – why did it make him think of strawberries? She reached up and laid one of her gloved hands on his cheek, making him feel flushed, knowing he was blushing. "All that power… And still so young… So much death… Yet still so happy… You're different than the others…" Her words were spoken slowly, as if she wanted to think of the best way to phrase things. When her thumb started to stroke his cheek, Naruto attempted to pull back, but found that the area was too small to do even that. "You're uncomfortable… I see… I'm not going to take it by force… I don't want to ruin you… But know this…" She leaned in close to the blonde, her lips barely so close to his ear that he felt every cold inhale and every warm exhale. "You're mine… And I'll kill anyone… Who tries to take you."

With that, the girl pulled back and sat down, one leg crossed over the other. She simply stared at the boy, still squeezing her umbrella. Naruto now knew it wasn't for pain though… it was to keep her excitement in check. Blake had told him some people got like that, they had to do everything to keep their instincts and desires from overtaking them. _Maybe I should have gone in the cockpit instead…_ He thought to himself, realizing that he now had to spend the next half hour in a cramped space with a psycho who just professed love to him… after only knowing each other for less than five minutes. Kurama's mad cackling in the background of his head certainly didn't help matters either. _Oh, this is going to be a_ long _trip_.

 **[House of Bricks]**

Naruto hadn't been in a club before. He wasn't exactly sure what to expect, to be honest. There was a DJ off to the side wearing an overly large bear head, playing some techno. Dozens of people were on the dance floor, rubbing against each other in ways that Naruto thought were a bit too close and caused him to blush. When Neo noticed that, she walked closer to him, giving him a look that made him shiver. There were also several scores of men in black and red suits keeping an eye on everything from conspicuous places throughout the club. The owner, Hei Xiong, wanted his patrons to know they better not try anything. Speaking of which, Roman was talking to just that man. The other three were far enough away that they couldn't make out their conversation though. Well, Naruto could, but he imagined activating First Spark in order to eavesdrop might not be the best first impression on his 'comrades' or Junior himself.

"Lord Uzumaki, are you alright?" Hidan wondered. Naruto shook his thoughts away and looked at his acolyte. "You seem to be a tad red. You aren't sick, are you?" The blonde felt his face and noticed the heat. Sighing, he calmed himself and decided to ignore both the dancers and Neo.

"I'm fine, Hidan. You needn't worry about me. It's just a… side-effect of this place." He commented vaguely. "That said, what do you imagine this club owner could know that possibly interests Cinder?" Hidan thought about that a moment before shrugging.

"I don't really get her in the first place, so it's hard to say. Given we don't even know her goals, it's difficult to begin thinking of what she wants. On top of that, we don't even know how far she's going to bring the Fang before abandoning or betraying us. That really worries me." Naruto sighed at that, but had to agree. This seemed to pique the interest of the third member of their group. She tugged on Naruto's sleeve a bit, gaining his attention.

"Yes, Neo?"

"How close are you… to the White Fang? You… aren't ever at the base. It took you… two days to arrive by foot. It seems… to me… that you're staying away… from them." Hidan growled at the woman, reaching for his scythe, which was hanging on his back, before Naruto motioned for him to stop.

The blonde thought about what she said and shook his head. "Adam is their leader, and I'm loyal to Adam. He's my nii-san, the one who slew the one who made my life hell… one of my saviors. Even if I'm not particularly close with many others in the White Fang aside from my Clan, I'm close to him." Neo seemed to gain a glint in her eyes.

"So… if he was gone… you wouldn't be loyal to the Fang?" She wondered. This time Naruto was the one who struck.

Grabbing Neo by the collar, he pulled her in close, despite the small height advantage she had over him. His eyes were full of unbridled _hatred_ as they looked into her eyes which were full of lustful _excitement_. "Don't you even threaten my nii-san or I'll kill you, do you understand me?" He asked her in a quiet voice. Neo shivered in anticipation, her hands shaking from the adrenaline she was filling.

"So much power…" Neo gasped as she felt Naruto's Aura's _weight_ on her mind. The sheer force of it was so crushing it was almost painful… and she _loved_ it. "It's too much…" As she mumbled it, Neo's skin began to become flush, a full-faced blush on her normally fair skin. Her hands reached up and gripped Naruto's own as she begged. "Give me more… I want everything!" Despite the passion in her voice, it was still gravelly and quiet, a testament to just how hard it was for her to speak. The shock factor of how the girl acted was enough to make Naruto let go. He could do little more than watch as she fell flat on her backside, that blush still just as fierce. She began to hug herself, fidgeting around as if to keep the feeling as long as possible.

Looking around, Naruto noted that Junior and his two bodyguards, as well as Roman and Hidan were watching the scene. Hidan looked at Neo strangely… and Naruto couldn't help but shiver. He _knew_ that look. That was the look he had when he was going to convert someone to his cult. Unfortunately… he didn't think Hidan would need to do much. Roman, on the other hand, had a smirk of amusement on his face. Junior looked confused but laughed as Roman said something. The blonde couldn't help but grumble. "Why can't anyone here be professional like Blake…" He muttered. Once more, Kurama's cackling was _not_ helping matters. The fact that even Yami was softly chuckling made it that much worse. _I hate you so much, Cinder._

That was about the time that things got… even more out of hand. The front entrance _exploded_ inwards as two bodies flew into the club. _Aren't those the bouncers?_ Naruto wondered as a young woman with golden hair as bright as his walked in, violet eyes full of amusement. She wore a… well, her outfit certainly spoke volumes. An orange scarf around her neck and a yellow tube top that showed _plenty_ of cleavage for any onlooker beneath a short-sleeved coat that showed pretty much all her midriff. She wore a golden bracelet on either wrist as well as a pair of fingerless, black gloves. Her black shorts – and they were barely even that – exposed much of her legs aside from what her almost knee-high, leather gogo boots covered. Her left leg had slightly more shielding, as there was an orange sock that came past her knee, with a purple scarf tied around it, while her right leg had a visible sock but it only came up to just above her boot.

As she walked in, several of the dancers took it as a cue to slink out. It was probably a smart idea. Roman saw her approaching and slipped away from Junior, joining the little trio of horny assassin, plotting cultist and stressed leader as the blonde talked to Junior. "I got everything we came for, so we can leave if we want. Or we can stay and watch the show." Naruto sighed, looking at Neo and Hidan.

"This whole thing has just been so weird. I don't think I can handle much more." Looking at the pair of deranged individuals infatuated with the idea of him, he shivered. "And I'm riding up front with you on the way back." Roman snickered at the boy but nodded nonetheless. Motioning Hidan to leave, Naruto was going to get the thief to take his assassin when he noticed that Neo and him were the only ones left in the club. "You dirty little…" Gritting his teeth, Naruto turned back to see Neo still in a pile of herself, unable to move. Walking over to her, knowing he would regret it, he helped her to her feet. When she wrapped herself around him in response, he wasn't necessarily surprised. After explaining that they were leaving, the girl contented herself with wrapping herself around his arm. It would have made for a strange scene if literally everyone left in the club wasn't watching the fight that the new girl was causing. Naruto just ignored all the noise. He wasn't ready to add _more_ trouble to this mission. He just wanted to get to Mountain Glenn after returning. At least an abandoned city infested with Grimm nests wasn't _this_ troublesome.

Oh Dust! Now he was sounding like Shika! _I'm going to kill Cinder… I swear…_


	5. Chapter V

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter V**

For once, Naruto found himself thankful he was missing his Faunus ears. It was _so_ loud, even to his less sensitive pair. He found himself in a building in Mountain Glenn, an old warehouse to be precise. Inside the warehouse there were several large pieces of machinery, equipment and vehicles that looked to be broken down due to decades of disuse. Following the noise, he found himself looking at a pair of teens working on a Bullhead, trying to get it into working shape.

The first had red hair and red eyes, fair skin and a scorpion tail. The second had black hair, black eyes, a heavy tan and a pair of bear ears atop his head. Both were wearing a blue, one-piece jumpsuit and leather coveralls over that, welding masks raised to look at their work and make sure everything was up to par. "Sasori, Kankurou, how's it going?" Naruto yelled up at them, given they were standing atop a scaffolding. The two looked down, waving as they saw him. Using Aura to cushion their landing, they jumped to the ground and greeted their leader.

"Good afternoon, Naruto." Sasori spoke calmly, but not coldly. It was a very formal, business-like tone.

"What's going on?" Kankurou, on the other hand, spoke with a casualness that one might expect from close friends or family.

"I was just wondering how that one's coming. It would be nice if we could have our own air force instead of relying on the Fang all the time." Sasori nodded and looked at the Bullhead.

"I think that we have enough to finish this. The insides are all in working order, thankfully. However, there's damage to the hull itself. That's what we're trying to fix. Technically, you could fly it right now. However, even the smallest hit from any Dust, and it will start losing parts. That's what's taking so long. We need to check all the welding to make sure it's done correctly as well as ensure the integrity of the panels themselves."

Naruto nodded. "How long do you think?" He wondered.

Kankurou was the one to answer, looking up at the aircraft before shrugging. "Three weeks probably? Like he said, we have everything here in the warehouse to fix it, it's just a matter of the labor." The blonde smiled brightly.

"That's great to hear! Keep up the good work!" The two mechanics nodded before turning back to the scaffolding, ready to climb up. "Oh, and Kankurou? Temari was looking for you. Something about… make-up? I don't quite remember exactly." The Bear Faunus swallowed hard at the statement but nodded, glad for the warning.

"R-right. Thanks, Naruto."

With that, the blonde decided to leave the warehouse – it was hell on him even _with_ earplugs. Walking out, he noted that he was in the Warehouse District of Mountain Glenn. Hidan had informed him that pre-war cities looked like the Kingdom Capitals in most ways. Of course, Naruto hardly ever went to Vale except on missions, so that didn't help much. That said, the place he was in had dozens of large warehouses that one might rent from their owners – whether they be private, banks or the government – back when it was still a city. Currently, he was having them used as storage facilities for all sorts of things they'd scavenged around the abandoned settlement.

While they hadn't _completely_ wiped out the Nest of Grimm here, they had contained them and cleared out a few districts for their use. As they needed access to more things, he'd have his troops take out the Grimm. For now, it was good enough seeing as how the Grimm were too docile to try attacking the Clan anymore.

Leaving the Warehouse District, Naruto found himself in Downtown Mountain Glenn. Once it was an area of thriving businesses. Now, he had converted many of those shops into housing for the Clan. Several of the buildings had also been renovated to become a place where his family could go to get supplies and meals. They had enough for everyone, but only if rationed. Their shares of the Dust certainly helped matters.

His thoughts were interrupted as a shadow passed overhead. Looking up, he noted it was a Bullhead. He didn't allow anxiety to overtake him though, as his glassy eyes revealed who was onboard. Instead, he just sighed. What could they want? Walking to the helipad he had repaired atop the hospital, Naruto wondered if he'd ever be free of that witch.

It wasn't long until he reached the hospital itself. It was simple to take the elevator up to the top floor, then find the stairs to the roof. By the time he arrived, he noted that Cinder and Roman had disembarked from their craft, looking particularly unhappy. "What can the Clan do for you?" Naruto asked formally to Cinder. The woman simply scowled.

"This ship need repairs thanks to… an incident we had in Vale." Naruto looked at the ship curiously before seeing that the hull had taken _serious_ damage. There were large gaps in the wings, burns all over it and several other things even his untrained eye could see.

"What did you do to get all of that? Did you fight a Drake?"

"Very funny. No, it was one of the Huntresses in Vale that did this. Can you help us or not?" Cinder demanded. Naruto wasn't used to seeing Cinder out of her calm, somewhat flirtatious demeanor. To be honest, he found himself liking the fact that someone ruffled her so much she was like this. Still… just to be sure…

"I could. Though, where's the entourage? I'm noticing the absence of three pains that are usually with you." Roman snickered.

"Do you find yourself missing my assistant?" He asked. When Naruto didn't react beyond a _very_ infinitesimal darkening of his skin, Roman shrugged. "Her kids have their own missions right now. Neo, well, she's sleeping. Don't flare your Aura _too_ much, or…" The blonde shivered.

Taking out his Scroll, Naruto dialed a number. _"Hello?"_

"Sasori, hold the project for a bit. I need you to send someone up to the hospital. There's a Bullhead here that needs repair. It's Cinder." He could hear someone sighing on the other end of the line.

 _"Okay, I'll send someone. Just make sure she's not there when they get there."_

"Of course. Thank you." With that, he hung up and pocketed his device. "Alright, they're on their way. So, it's time for us to find something to do so we aren't interfering when they get here." Cinder was silent, but followed Naruto from the roof, Roman tailing behind with his usual smirk in place. Naruto got the feeling he was enjoying this too.

 **[Clan HQ]**

The blonde found himself leading the two to his own base within Mountain Glenn. It was once the city's courthouse, but he'd renovated it into a sort of office space for several different purposes. The attached jailhouse still didn't see any use, but they were at war. Eventually it would. One of the court rooms had had everything removed and redone into a sort of war room, complete with the same type of holographic map display that Adam had in his own. Four seats were taken around the map. Four because… that annoyance that called herself Neo had woken up and found them by following his Aura. Cinder and Naruto were seated on the short ends of the table, opposite each other. Roman sat on one of the long sides, equidistant from the others. Neo… she was so close to Naruto it was a wonder she didn't just use him as a seat.

Trying his best to ignore the girl who was pressing her soft chest against him in an effort to gain his attention, Naruto looked at Cinder. "So, are you going to tell me what happened?" The ravenette tapped her fingers against the table before sighing.

"There were… complications with one of our raids. Since there had been so little resistance and I have other things for the Fang to do, we had been hiring Junior's men for them. Unfortunately, on the last one of that night, there was something we hadn't anticipated." She placed her scroll on the table and a holographic feed showed. "I had one of my people hack into the security cams so I could see it for myself. This girl in the hood, she's wielding that scythe with the skill of an adept. Pulling her files, I found her name is Ruby Rose, daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose, student of Qrow Branwen. She has Huntsman Blood running deep in her veins. The men were no match for her."

"Is that an Acceleration-type Semblance?" Naruto asked, watching as she disappeared several times in clouds of rose petals. Activating his All-Seeing Eyes and First Spark together, he watched the video very closely. "Yeah, its Acceleration-type, not Teleportation-type. So, this girl took out the goons. That doesn't explain the ship though. I mean, she could've probably taken on Roman, but I don't see Neo losing to an amateur. Her moves aren't refined enough to be a licensed Huntsmen." With his comment, he saw Roman scowl, but no other response. Neo, on the other hand, began to practically purr at the compliment to her skills.

"Naruto thinks I'm skilled… thank you, darling…" She cooed into his ear, causing the boy to fight off a blush at the hot breath against his neck. "You don't have to fight it… Whenever you're ready… I'll show you things… that will make your mind turn to mush… In the best way." Shaking the temptress' voice from his head, he looked at the hologram as the feed changed to a different camera.

"Oh… Goodwitch showed up." He muttered. The damage made sense now. While he'd never personally seen Goodwitch, he'd read plenty on the files of dangerous Huntsmen and Huntresses in Vale or known to visit Vale frequently so that he could counter them if need be. Or steal their souls, in the case of why Kurama was so interested. Looking at the battle, he chuckled. "She's just on a whole different level, isn't she? I guess you don't become the Deputy Headmaster of the best Academy without the skills. Alright, I think I get what happened."

"You look like you have some insight." Cinder commented, her demeanor slowly changing back to normal. Oh well, it was good while it lasted. "Please share."

"Well, it's just a guess. Goodwitch is known to never stray far from Ozpin unless on a mission or attending to the Academy. Yet she was there and arrived _just_ in time to save this… Ruby, was it? Yeah, just in time to save Ruby. The way we see it there's only three possibilities." On the word 'we' Cinder seemed confused until she seemingly remembered his _condition_. "The first is all of this is a coincidence. It's possible, but not that likely. Second, Ozpin had her tailed to keep an eye on her. Given her pedigree, its more possible, but why scout someone that's two years younger than the rest of your students? Lastly… somehow he knew that you would be hitting that shop and had Goodwitch waiting to apprehend you."

Cinder frowned at what Naruto said. While he was just a boy, Yami had been among the most trusted strategists among the Velian White Fang before she arrived. If Naruto, Yami and Kurama had all discussed it in his head then it was likely one of those was correct. There was also the fact she couldn't see any other possible routes, so she had to take what she had. "If we're looking at a scenario where he knew what we were doing and planned a counter strike it might be good to lay low for a time. We have quite a supply of Dust amassed and can focus on some of the other plans for now anyways. Still, the second possibility intrigues me." Cinder looked at the screen, which had been paused on a frame showing the girl's face. "What could Ozpin see in this girl that we're missing?"

 **[Several Hours Later]**

Naruto found himself walking the rundown streets of Mountain Glenn, stepping around large holes in the asphalt and over toppled structures. His guests were still at his base, but had occupied themselves elsewhere. Roman had found interest in the mess hall, given he hadn't eaten in quite some time and 'thievery creates quite the appetite' as he had informed the blonde. Cinder was… who knows where. That woman was too curious for her own good, so he imagined she was snooping in places she had no business. Still, chain of command and all that…

Then there was Neo. She was still with him, following him down the street. He wasn't necessarily trying to give her the slip, but it might be nice. _You're weird, you know that?_ Kurama's voice resounded in his head, amused more than anything else. _All you want is family, affection and someone to rely on. That's why we're here. And you've got this girl who's throwing herself at you. You're really odd._

 _Kurama isn't wrong, you know. I find it strange as well._ Yami piped in. _I can't detect any sort of malicious intent and, unlike Anko, it's not teasing. I believe she may have some affection for you outside of that lust. I'm not saying to take up her offer on… that, but it might not be so bad to have another friend. Just keep her away from Hidan._

Sighing at the insistence of the other two, Naruto slowed down a bit, allowing Neo to catch up. It was… odd though. Unlike he was used to, she hadn't immediately latched onto him when they were alone. Instead, she just followed him, arms outstretched to keep her balance as she walked on the edge of the sidewalk. "Neo, what are you doing?" He wondered. As she looked at him, he was interested in the fact that her eyes were… different. Wasn't it that her brown eye and pink eye were on the opposite sides before? Ignoring it for now, he watched as she grinned.

"Silly Naru… the floor is lava!" She stated. As she stuck her tongue out, Naruto jumped to the sidewalk as suddenly the asphalt _was_ lava. Or, at least… it had the appearance of it. Turning on his All-Seeing Eyes, he noted that the asphalt was _brimming_ with Neo's Aura. _An Illusion-type Semblance? I didn't take Neo for that kind of person…_

Given Aura was the externalization of one's soul, it made sense that one's soul had a large effect on both their Aura and their Semblance. One's Semblance could be thought of to be the way that their soul protects the body. Semblances could be divided into several different types based on several factors, but Illusion-type holders seemed to share one _very_ particular trait in common. They shared an immense _fear_ when they activated their Semblance. Not just fear, but rather, a type of terror that envelops their entire being. The sadistic, flirty and possessive Neo just didn't seem the type to have that sort of childhood trauma.

Putting the thought aside, Naruto decided to play along. "The floor is lava you say? Can't we just use Water or Ice Dust then?" He asked, not surprised when she shook her head. "Why not?"

"It's… special lava? You just have to stay away from it!" As she said that, the grass near the sidewalk changed as well, slowly encroaching on the sidewalk. Stepping onto the edge of the sidewalk, Naruto smiled softly. Well, it had been some time since he'd played with anyone. Surely he could take a break?

"If its lava, shouldn't we get to high ground?" He asked, pointing at a street light above them. Neo nodded and jumped up, expertly flipping onto it in a show of acrobatic skill. Naruto, on the other hand, used his First Spark to enhance his leg muscles enough that he could jump straight to it. As he looked at the floor, the lava had closed over the sidewalk. The illusion was disrupted a little when he noticed it was only around them, but he wouldn't mention that. Neo seemed to be… different right now. He wasn't sure what had caused it, but it seemed… fun.

"Where next… Naru?" She asked. Naruto looked around before pointing to the rooftop of one of the shops that they didn't use. "I don't think… I can jump that far." She pointed out. Naruto smiled and grabbed her hand, watching as Neo blushed heavily. After everything she'd done to him, that's all it took to get her embarrassed? He felt a little disappointed, but filed it away for later as he jumped from the light, Neo in tow. When it was obvious that he couldn't quite make it, Naruto concentrated. His Aura flashed an almost white shade of light gray before the air around them swirled and lifted them up higher. It was just enough for them to land on the roof, Neo looking at Naruto in amazement.

"Oooh! What was that?" She wondered, her voice sounding downright childish in its innocent curiosity at this point.

"That was Boreas. It lets me control air, but whenever I use it drains the heat out of an area for some reason… I only use it in short bursts otherwise things start turning to ice." He explained. To be honest, things were getting a little out of hand at this point. "Neo, I have to ask, are you okay? You seem… different." The girl tilted her head in curiosity before her eyes lit up.

"Oh! You didn't know already?" She wondered. Having no idea what she meant, he shook his head. As he watched, one of her eyes turned white and her voice changed. He couldn't quite place it but it seemed… almost frail. It was like all the fear in the world was thrust upon one person. "I-I'm just like you…" Again, her eyes changed. This time, it was the one he met first, the eyes that matched her hair but were inverted in position. This was stepped forward, laying a gloved hand on his face. "We're the same, Naruto~…" It was then that Naruto finally understood. Was this why those too were so insistent?

"Y-you're…" He couldn't even finish it, but Neo helped him by whispering in his ear.

"I'm broken… just like you…"


	6. Chapter VI

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter VI**

 **[Six Years Ago]**

Eight year old Naruto jerked from his sleep as he sat upright, looking around. _Where am I?_ He thought, only a step outside panicking as his breath began to quicken. When he felt someone touch him, he immediately jumped back, falling out of bed. The girl looked upset, but he didn't register that as he tried to move backwards, putting as much space between her and himself as he could. "No, please, no more!" He begged as he felt his back against the wall, nowhere else to go. Hugging his knees, he tucked his face into his legs and just waited… waited for the injection, or the scalpel, or the blade. It was different sometimes but one thing that remained constant… was the pain.

The shaky voice that responded… it wasn't what he usually heard. "O-oh Dust… what did they do to you?" Naruto looked up to see a girl… wasn't that the girl who… her name was Blake, right? She was knelt in front of him, tears brimming her eyes. When cerulean met amber, it must have been too much for the girl as she suddenly wrapped him up in a hug, squeezing him close. Even though it wasn't painful… the blonde found himself crying just as much as her.

For several minutes it lasted, or maybe it was hours, Naruto had no way of knowing. Even when the tears stopped, he didn't dare let go of Blake. He was… well, he was afraid. He was _terrified_ that if he let go, Orochimaru or Kabuto would show up for another round of tests. Blake seemed to be holding him just as tightly, though he didn't think it was for the same reason.

"I… I'm sorry…" Naruto finally whispered once he got control of his voice. Blake froze before pulling back just enough to look in his eyes. She seemed… upset at what he said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for!" Blake responded, just the thought of this boy apologizing to her for _anything_ was ludicrous.

"I do though… I'm sorry for making you cry." He replied, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry for being so weak strangers had to save me. I'm sorry… you had to worry over someone who's broken." The last one he stated when he remembered the things the scientists called him. He was the broken one, the one who could heal anything, except for his own Faunus trait. He may as well have been nothing more than a tainted human to them.

Blake's surprise turned to worry as she went to stroke the boy's hair. She was shocked when he pulled back and fell to the floor to get her to stop. "N-no… not there…" He begged her, eyes tearing up at the thought of his savior knowing he was damaged goods. Blake's surprise gave way to understanding as she nodded. Naruto kept his hands on his head, where his ears used to be, as he noticed the girl's own ears twitch. Seeing it put a pit in his stomach. He'd never have that…

Looking at the ground, he felt those tears spill over and began to cry all over again. Even though she wasn't crying this time, Blake held him just as tightly as before, rubbing his back soothingly. "It's okay, Naruto. I'm here. I'll always be here for you."

 **[Present Day]**

Memories flooded Naruto as he heard Neo's words. He couldn't move under the weight of them. The first time he was held by Blake. Adam teaching him to fight. Introducing his other selves to his siblings. Gaining his first medical lessons from Dr. Nohara. Going on his first mission. The first time Kurama killed and the very different reactions that Blake and Adam had. Making friends with the Clan and becoming their unofficial leader. They just began pile up after another and still he didn't move.

"N-no… I'm… I'm not broken…" Naruto denied, shaking his head. Neo's raspy yet sultry voice chimed in in response.

"No… you're perfect, my love." She whispered in his ear. "To me, you're absolutely perfect. To others though… they don't understand us. They always leave." She continued to stroke his cheek while spinning her words. "Your Clan… they seem different. That's only because they're broken too though. Experimented on by that mad scientist… they're just as shattered as we are. That's why they stick so closely together. They're trying to create something from broken pieces… a mosaic of hundreds of shards… from hundreds of objects. They want… something beautiful… to come from… all their pain. And they've given you… the role of artist. They want you… to take all their pieces… and arrange something magnificent."

The blonde took in what she said and had to admit that she had _some_ point. They _weren't_ normal. The Clan stuck together because they shared a common pain, Orochimaru. It made them closer, but also made the other Fang stay from them. They were _different_ from other Faunus. As she watched his face move through several emotions, Neo smiled. She was getting through to him. "That's what your family is doing, coming together and creating something they never could alone." She cupped the younger boy's face in her hands as she looked into his eyes. His cerulean orbs met her dichromatic ones, the resistance nearly gone. "Can you say it would be so bad to see if we could do the same?" She wondered as her lips were so close to his the smallest breeze would have brought them together. He looked to the side, a blush coating his cheeks at the thought.

Taking the chance, she leaned forward and their lips finally met. She kept it chaste. She couldn't very well have her love broken more than he was already, now could she? The boy fell into it, closing his eyes and just wrapping his arms around the girl who claimed they could fix each other. For his part, Naruto couldn't resist anymore. Blake was gone… Adam was under Cinder's thumb… his Clan had to rely on him… it was all _too much_! He just needed something to distract himself, needed to feel someone close to him, like how Blake held him when he was younger. He didn't want to think of this girl as Blake's replacement – no one could ever replace his nee-chan! – but… she had been nothing but caring towards him since they met. He could at least give it a chance… right? After all, it was as Adam once told him.

" _Naruto, I know that normally humans and Faunus tend to frown on certain things done by children. You must destroy those notions however. We are_ at war _and anyone of us could die any day. You've proved to me you're mature enough to take the life of another." At this point, Adam had set two glasses on his desk and poured a drink into them. "Old enough to kill, old enough to drink, old enough to do anything. Blake may dislike it… but you should at least remember this rule. It's what my father told me back when I made my first kill. Go ahead and drink it, Naruto. You may not like it but… at least have one drink with your big brother?" The smile that Adam wore was so sincere that Naruto complied, drinking._

He was pretty sure this fell under the _old enough to do anything_ category. At this point he didn't care the several years' age difference between him and Neo, he just enjoyed the contact and the affection she was showing him. He hadn't been this close to anyone since Blake left and he… missed it terribly. When Neo pulled back, he actually found himself feeling disappointed. "Such a cute face, Naruto~" Neo stated with a grin. "Don't worry… we can do plenty of things later." Slowly, her right hand traced down his body until it rested on his chest, her other one still on his cheek. "For now, I think one step at a time is best. If you get too… attached, you won't be able to properly lead your Clan."

Neo's scroll then began ringing, making her frown as she picked it up. "Hello?" Slowly, the girl's eyes narrowed until her demeanor was practically _homicidal_. "Fine, fine!" Hanging up, she fumed before looking at Naruto. "It seems I must leave… my love. I'll see if I can't visit when you… least expect it. I'll miss you though~" With that, the girl's form shattered like glass, leaving the boy all alone on the rooftop.

For several seconds, he stared where the girl had once been before shaking himself from his stupor. He quickly realized that she must've been called by Roman or Cinder and that the Bullhead was repaired. That meant that Cinder would be leaving as well. It was… strange to feel both relieved and sad at the group's leave. He needed to talk to someone about this… but who? Kurama was laughing too hard to be of use while Yami piped in that he didn't understand these sorts of things. Hidan… he was loyal, but a bit hard to understand most of the time. Hm… Anko might be helpful, but there was no telling. Wait… there was her… yeah, she'd probably be able to help.

With that in mind, Naruto left, sparks trailing his body and eyes a glassy blue as he searched out someone he could trust to help without judging him too much. After all, she had to deal with Shika, so he was sure he could rely on her.

 **[Sabaku House]**

When Naruto's knock at the Sabaku household – which was once an antique shop – was answered by Gaara, he wasn't at all surprised. The boy was two years younger than him and had short, red hair, pale skin and large bags under his pale, green eyes. Even without his raccoon tail, he had the appearance of a Faunus. He wore a brown cloak over his body that hid his clothing and behind him floated a cloud of sand in the form of an almost peanut-like shape. "Hello, Naruto. How may I help you?" The boy spoke very formally, even bowing his head as he spoke the blonde's name.

"Ah, Gaara. Is Temari in, by chance? I had something I needed to discuss with her." Before the boy could even answer, a blonde showed up behind him, though her hair was far closer to brown than his sun-golden shade. Done up in four tails, she wore a black yukata and looked at him with curious, teal eyes.

"Is it another mission?" The woman, Temari, wondered. Naruto shook his head, which caused the girl to become even more curious. "Oh?"

"I needed some… advice." He explained. Gaara took that as a cue and nodded, leaving out the front door and past Naruto.

"I wished to go for a walk anyways. I shall leave you alone." Before Naruto could reply, the boy was already gone. This prompted Temari to pull him in, shut the door and sit him on the couch.

"Luckily for you I just made tea. Shikamaru was supposed to be coming but… some things came up. Those things being his mother." She sighed but shook her head before going into the kitchen. In no time, she came back with two cups in her hand, placing one in front of her leader as she sipped from the other, sitting down across from him. "Now tell me, Naruto, what have you gotten yourself into?" Her sly smile told him nothing except that she was probably close to figuring it out herself. "You only ever come to me when you're completely confused on something. I truly don't mind helping, but it makes me curious what you could've done this time."

Naruto paused, trying to think of the best way to move forward. "The truth is… I'm… all alone." He finally explained. Temari quirked an eyebrow, not at all expecting this. "Everyone in the Clan is so great but… I feel alone. I have ever since Blake left… since Cinder took over and nii-san had less time for me… since we came here. I love being around all of you, honest! I just… I don't like feeling so far away from them." Temari sipped her tea momentarily before nodding.

"I think I see what the problem is. Blake and Adam saved you, and you devoted everything to make them happy, but now that you've left the nest, so to speak, you miss them?" Naruto nodded. Temari placed her cup down and seemed to be lost in thought. "I'm not sure I'm the best person to tell you what to do from here, given the only people I think of in the same way are my brothers, and they haven't become independent enough to leave yet." Naruto shook his head.

"That's… not what I wanted your advice on. It was just something I needed to say for you to understand the next part." This certainly got Temari's attention. "I think I… might have found someone who can help distract me from the pain… even if only for a little bit." Temari's eyes lit up immediately.

"Is our great leader… in love?" She asked with a sly grin, causing Naruto to blush furiously.

"It's not like that, Temari!" He denied. Calming a bit, he started fidgeting. "Okay… maybe a little… but maybe not. I just… I don't know what I feel. She's always been nice to me and she's pretty, but she's a bit… psychotic, like Kurama. She hasn't made me do anything I didn't want to and even said she'd wait for me to be ready, but it's all so confusing! I thought she was annoying at first, but I've just been so alone that now I'm sad she left…" The oldest of the Sabaku siblings thought a moment before smiling.

"Oh, it's her. I think I see now." Naruto looked at the older girl, wondering what she was thinking. "It's Roman's assistant, right? Neo? She's… just like you, so it makes sense that you would feel this way." To be honest, the boy was downright amazed she had figured it out so fast. "Why you chose me to ask about matters of love, I don't know, but I'll help if I can."

Naruto smiled. "Thank you Temari. I wanted to ask you because you seem to be doing very well with Shikamaru despite your… differences." Temari pondered what he said before nodding.

"I see. If a couple like Shika and I can work past our differences, then perhaps it means you have a shot at happiness with someone like Neo?" Naruto nodded. Temari smiled, glad that her leader put so much faith in her opinions and advice. "Alright, I'll try my best to help you." Naruto grinned, finally taking a sip of Temari's tea.

"Thank you, Temari. It really means a lot to me."

 **[Cinder's Bullhead, Storage Bay]**

While Roman and Cinder had taken seats in the cockpit, Neo found herself in the storage bay of the ship, a happy grin on her lips. She couldn't stop pacing the mostly empty area as she had a sort of internal dialogue about everything so far. _He actually accepted and kissed us back! I can't believe you went for it! I was so scared he was going to pull away!_

 _You should have more faith in me, Nil._ Neo's more sadistic voice responded. _I know what I'm doing after all!_

 _You were just as terrified, Bri, don't act so arrogant. I could tell even if she didn't notice._

 _Sh-shut up, Cream! Don't make me get the umbrella on you!_

 _That would just hurt Nil, and you know it._

 _Screw you!_

Meanwhile, Neo was smiling wide, both eyes white as she held one hand over her chest. Nil, as they called her, was out and trying to control herself as a blush spread over her face just remembering the events. "He actually accepted us…" She breathed, smile getting wider every second until it threatened to split her face. "He accepted us!" Despite the emotions behind it, her voice amounted to little more than a loud whisper. Wincing and rubbing her throat, even the pain wasn't enough to stop her from grinning like a lovestruck schoolgirl.

Holding herself close as she remembered the rooftop, Nil even giggled a little. "Someone's happy." Hearing someone else, Neo jumped and allowed Bri, her more psychotic personality, take control. The response was to immediately pull out her umbrella and point it at the new arrival. Neo lowered as she saw it was Cinder. "I suppose you're basking in the glow of that little session with your boy toy, huh?" Neo narrowed her eyes silently. The woman smiled. "You didn't think I wouldn't have eyes on all of my operatives at all times, did you? No… do not worry, I know _everything_ that my followers do. _Especially_ behind closed doors. However, your little… courtship of Naruto works well for me. I'm not going to interfere. In fact, I think I can find it within myself to aid you."

Neo glared at the woman, all her defenses up and alarms going off. "Why?" Her question curt and to the point, all her suspicion in the word.

Cinder smiled that sly smile only she could. "Why? I thought it was obvious. Even if Adam was useful for his high rank and connection to Sienna Khan, I find myself less and less interested in him. Naruto on the other hand… his power is incredible. Of course, I'm sure you already knew that. It's why you wanted him right? Don't worry, I know all about your crush, your obsession, your _need_ for him. I'm going to let you have him, even if I was interested in him myself. No… my mistress has plans for that boy and you shall help us make sure they go through. Neo, my dear, you are going to replace that boy's precious saviors and have him so enamored with you that he'll do _everything_ you say once I'm finished." Neo couldn't help but step back when Cinder flared her Aura, dropping her parasol at the _immense_ weight of it. "And you are going to do _everything_ I say, in exchange."


	7. Chapter VII

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter VII**

 **[Mountain Glenn, Outside City Limits]**

"So… Naruto, you're _sure_ we want to be doing this?" It was a nervous voice that asked him, Guren's. "I understand the threat but this seems… like an inappropriate time." The blonde simply smiled at the crystal user as he looked over the cliff they stood on to see a herd of seven Goliath that made their home outside of his. They had been encroaching ever closer on his territory since they moved in and he couldn't have that.

"I think it's the _perfect_ time to show these Grimm what Orochimaru did to us. We aren't _normal_ Faunus, Guren. We're stronger than them, stronger than others could ever hope to be. We have to use that strength to make sure nothing takes our home from us." Guren nodded, but still seemed a bit unsure. "Sasori, Kankurou, do you have the Dust artillery ready?" He asked, getting a nod from the two. Both were wearing large headphones and stood next to a pair of artillery pieces that they had found in an old military base just outside of Mountain Glenn. With a little work, they fixed their disrepair and got them working to optimal position. While only two were present here, there were six in total.

"Snipers, at the ready!" He commanded as a dozen Faunus took aim with high-caliber sniper rifles equipped with Explosive Dust ammunition. "Illusionists, begin!" Six Faunus under his command then began to place an equal number of the Goliath under their spell. The seventh, who was the runt of the herd, was turned into a non-threat as several explosive round tore into one of its legs simultaneously, sending it into the ground. "Artillery, fire!" Kankurou and Sasori took their cue as artillery shells filled with Ice Dust slammed into the group of survivors, freezing them on impact with only the first round. Looking down at the herd, he activated his All-Seeing Eyes to get a better feel for what was happening as he raised his hand. Everyone halted momentarily. "Guren, if you would."

The woman nodded and knelt, placing her hands on the cliff. Purple crystals began spreading quickly from their location to the herd before large, crystalline walls rose around them. Closing off in the shape of seven domes, the empty air within started crystallizing as well. Before their eyes, Guren had trapped seven Goliath within prisons of amethyst. "There, even if they somehow break out, they'll be shattered into pieces and destroyed." Naruto nodded and turned to the Clan, grinning.

"See? We can do things _our_ way and get results. We don't have to fight everything head on, if we use the equipment we have, the skills we've gained and our minds. Seven Goliath… it would take a squad of veteran Hunter's to pull off what we just did and even then, there would be threat of injury to at least one. We may not be as large a group as Adam's, or the Academies, or even just one large city, but we're enough. We're family and that means we can do anything together if we try hard enough." The Clan, _his_ Clan, grinned back at him as if it was infectious. "With them out of the way, we can sleep better at night knowing all that's left is a single Nest on the west side of town. Even then, the _Grimm_ fear _us_!" At the notion that they were strong enough to scare even Grimm, the Clan cheered Naruto. Looking up at the sky to see it was approaching dusk, he sent the artillery into Hammerspace. "I think it's time we head to bed though. It's getting late and every day will be busy until we turn this place into a proper town to live in." No one could really argue with that.

 **[Naruto's House]**

The blonde arrived at his abode, in which he lived alone. It had originally been the Mountain Glenn Public Library, but it wasn't too difficult to renovate one of the office spaces into a small room. He liked having all the books at his fingertips anyways – and he knew that Yami _loved_ it. As he walked into the building, he immediately felt like something was off. Quickly turning his All-Seeing Eyes and First Spark on, he looked around for any sign of intruders. Seeing nobody, he slowly made his way through the shelves until…

"Hello, my love~" He heard the whisper in his ear a moment after something jumped onto his back from behind. Neo had her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist as she held onto him, her lips right next to his ear. It was only because of his First Spark he didn't immediately fall from the new weight. "Didn't I tell you… I would come visit?" Naruto sighed but couldn't help himself from smiling as she hopped off him.

When he turned, he noticed her eyes were both brown. "Hm… so, who am I speaking to right now, I wonder?" Naruto asked as he looked at her. Neo grinned.

"You can just call all of us Neo, you know. That's the name we gave ourselves to others so that they wouldn't have to remember so many names." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"How many… flavors do you have?" He asked, trying to use a euphemism that was related to her name. Neo giggled but shrugged.

"Who knows? I guess you'll just have to meet all of us, won't you?" Naruto sighed but smiled anyways. "If it's that important, I'll let you call me Maron, Mary for short." The blonde nodded. "Hm… do your selves not just think of themselves as parts of Naruto?" The brown-eyed Neo asked curiously. He shook his head. "Oh? Then how?"

"Well, I'm Naruto." The blonde explained. "You may call me Yami." He spoke as eyes shifted to deep violet. When they shifted to blood-red with slit pupils, Kurama grinned. "And I'm Kurama." Naruto had control once more as cerulean showed itself. "We're different and help each other. We aren't one person but more… a group of three brothers that share one body, I guess is how we see it? I control the body most of the time, but when I need help Yami or Kurama will come out."

Neo nodded with a thoughtful look in her eyes. "I see! I guess it's because there's only three of you." Naruto looked at the girl a bit oddly, which caused her to just smile. "Still not gonna tell you!" The blonde just smiled back.

"So, does Roman or Cinder know that you're here?" Mary paused and shrugged.

"We don't need their permission to come see our love!" Was her response as brown bled into pink. "Speaking of… we didn't finish last time we were here." Before Neo even pounced on him and locked lips, Naruto knew it was coming. Even though this one didn't have as great of a shock factor as before, Naruto still felt a surge running through his body as Neo kissed him, pulling him in close as her hands rested one on his chest and the other on his cheek. It wasn't until he began feeling short of breath that Neo actually pulled away, a large blush dusting her cheeks as pink met cerulean. A string of saliva still connected their lips as he looked at the girl. "I've wanted to do that since we got here~" She mentioned, fingers trailing over his cheek.

Naruto, for his part, couldn't even speak. Neo giggled at his reaction. Of course, she had several years' experience over the blonde, so it couldn't be helped that she knew exactly what to do to him. When the boy finally found his voice, it was all he could do to keep a silly grin from his lips. Though there wasn't anything to do about the blush. "That was… I didn't know…"

"You didn't know… something like kissing… could do that?" She whispered in his ear. As he shuddered, the hand on his chest slowly slid down to his waist. "Oh~ There is _so_ much more that I could… make you feel." Naruto shivered as felt her hand just barely graze his crotch before suddenly pulling back. "But I didn't come here… to liquefy your brain." She said, suddenly serious. "Let's go somewhere… secluded, okay?" Shaking from his stupor, the blonde nodded despite his puzzled expression. He hadn't seen this Neo so serious before and it made him very curious as to the reason.

 **[Naruto's Room]**

Almost as soon as the door was shut, Naruto found himself pressed against it by Neo. Her arms were around his neck once more and her face was _very_ close to his. "Naruto… I need you to listen to me and not say anything, just keep blushing and acting cute." Neo's voice was even more quiet that usual. Only because of First Spark could he even make it out. Honestly, he didn't think it would be difficult to follow her instructions. "I think Cinder has spies here in the Clan to keep an eye on you. She knew about what we did on the rooftop.

"She came to me after we left and tried to threaten me into manipulating you to our side. I'd rather _die_ than betray my love though." Only through sheer effort was Naruto able to keep his eyes from widening. "I don't know what, but… whoever controls Cinder wants you for their plans. She's going to try to do something, I just don't know what. I don't know if it's your Semblance or the Clan… but she wants something." Naruto's cheeks reddened further, but that was more due to anger than embarrassment. Feeling him tense up, Neo kissed the boy's neck, then his chin before connecting their lips once more. It only lasted a few moments, but was enough to keep him distracted from anger. "I don't know if she has cameras, bugs or spies here but it's not safe for you to speak freely with too many people in opposition to Cinder. I just want you to be careful."

Naruto thought over what she said, but didn't respond to it. If there was a bug in the room, she could hear and punish Neo, or do something to Adam. Turning on his All-Seeing Eyes momentarily, he didn't notice anything in the room or in the library, but it was difficult to be sure. He'd need to look in more detail later. "For now… don't worry too much though." Neo pulled back and looked into his eyes. There was fear in them, but not for herself. It was for him. He also noticed that both eyes were white now. "We love you and will do everything to protect you." This one was even quieter than the pink-eyed Neo, if that was possible. White bled back into pink as the more dominant of Neo's personalities took over and held him close. "We won't lose you… even if it costs us our life."

To be honest, Naruto didn't really understand why Neo had become so obsessed with him so quickly. At this point he didn't _care_. All he knew was that he found himself becoming more attached to the girl little by little every time they met. Laying a hand on her cheek, he smiled and used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear that threatened to spill out. He could tell that the girl was _terrified_ of what Cinder could, and would, do to him. "Don't worry Neo, nothing will keep us apart." He stated. He wasn't quite sure where it came from, but it wasn't as if he regretted saying it. Neo grinned at that, grabbing him by his collar and pulling him into another kiss. This one seemed different than the others though. It was less calm and more forceful. It was… he thought that desperate was the right word to use here. It seemed as if Neo just wanted to ensure that he was still there. Truth be told… he was more than happy to comply. _This is dangerous… I might get addicted to this sort of thing._ He thought as she pulled him closer to his bed before forcing him to sit. Taking a seat in his lap, she started back up with even more vigor, holding him as close as possible while straddling him.

 _He's mine, Cinder._ Neo thought to herself. _He's mine and you won't take him from me! Not you and not anyone else! I won't let anyone have my love… I'll kill anyone who tries!_ Her thoughts became less and less coherent and Naruto kissed her back and she just let the ecstasy of having the one she loved showing her affection take over. She felt the weight of his Aura in its passive state and compared it to when Cinder flared hers. Smiling into the kiss she couldn't help but think darkly. _He's stronger than you Cinder. You'll see. He just needs to be shown how to use it… and he'll kill you and take all your power! Then my Naruto will be the strongest in the world and I'll be his loyal Queen. I'll show you… we'll show all of you!_

 **[Next Morning]**

When Naruto woke up the next morning, he felt as if something was off. The weight in his bed… it felt weird. Slowly opening his eyes, he found a pair of pink ones looking back into his with a sly grin just below them. _Why does it smell like strawberries?_ Half-asleep he wondered. "Morning, Neo…" He spoke without thinking before the words shook him awake. Widening his eyes, he looked up to see Neo was laying on top of him, the blanket covering the two of them as her head rested on his chest. "Neo…" He spoke her name slowly, trying to remember what happened last night. Did they… no, he would have remembered doing something like that. "Neo, did we… do that?" The girl smiled as her bare hand stroked circles on the bed next to his head, a happy expression on her face.

"Not yet… soon, but not yet, my love." She responded with a giggle, blushing at the thought. "Believe me, I want to feel you inside me… feel all of your power in my deepest parts… but not yet. One step at a time, so be patient." Naruto felt his face heat up at her unabashed statement. It caused a certain… stirring below, but he was _somehow_ able to get it under control.

Neo slowly got up, straddling the blonde as the blanket fell. If he had thought he had any control of his… stirrings, Naruto was sadly mistaken. He saw that Neo was only in her underwear: a pink bra and panties with chocolate brown lace around the edges that made him think of ice cream for some reason. Noticing the boy staring at her chest, Neo grinned. "Oh? Does my love like that sort of thing?" She teased him as she cupped her breasts, moving them slightly. As he turned his head to the side, Neo grinned. "Don't worry, Naruto… I'll let you do all you want to them soon enough." Laying on hand on his chest, she slowly leaned forward and kissed him, her breasts pressing into his chest in the process.

Kissing the girl back, Naruto found himself severely disappointed when she pulled back and left the bed. Sitting up and looking at her, he saw she was getting dressed in her combat uniform. "Neo… how did you get here? I forgot to ask you that." The girl paused in the process of putting her shirt on and smiled.

"I got a ride… From Roman. He was snickering the whole time… and saying how it would be great… to tease you with… and to anger Cinder." Naruto nodded, expecting no less from the orange-haired thief. He just liked things that were amusing after all. It should be… some time before… Cinder shows up though. So, we have a few days together… at least."

"What makes you say that?" Naruto asked.

"She went to see… her mistress. It always takes her… a few days to come back… even when she takes the Bullhead." The blonde thought about that and concluded whoever Cinder's mistress was had to be on another continent. Was she working for Atlas? No… there's no way the Schnee would work with the Fang and they more or less controlled the Council there. There was Mistral on Anima. The underworld there was large enough that the possibility was high. Still, it was best not to assume until there was solid evidence. Shaking those thoughts away, he watched as Neo finished getting dressed before sitting on the bed next to him.

"What are you… thinking about?" Neo asked, very curious. She also handed him his own clothes and gestured for him to get dressed. Given she did so in front of him, he was sure anything less would insult her. Before he put his clothes on, he activated First Spark and touched the wall. Channeling a large amount of Aura – not enough to even dent his reserves, mind you, but still large to anyone else – he watched as the walls sparked. His All-Seeing Eyes told him that it had affected the entire library. "What was… that?" Neo asked. Her calm expression was gone in lieu of a blush at the _immense_ Aura her love had just channeled without even looking tired.

"If there _were_ any bugs, they're short-circuited now. I was just trying to think of where Cinder's boss could be." He explained as he got dressed. "That long of a trip means she's off-continent. If her mistress is in a kingdom, then she's got to be in Mistral. However, finding one criminal in that Mistral underworld would be a… chore in of itself. So, I'm not sure if I'm hesitating because of the resources it would take or because my instincts are telling me she's somewhere else. Honestly, I just don't know."

Neo nodded and thought about it as she tapped her fingers against her trusty umbrella. "It's… difficult to say for certain." She finally noted. "The only thing to do… is act like… we're on her side. Maybe she'll slip up if she trusts us. Still… I want you and the Clan to be… strong enough to… fight her if you need. Do you mind… showing me around… Mountain Glenn?" Naruto smiled and nodded.

"Let's see… it's too bad you missed our hunt yesterday." Neo tilted her head. "Oh, we took out that annoying herd of Goliath that kept getting closer to us. It was a little underwhelming, honestly." Neo's eyes widened at the statement.

That blush returned full force as Neo's mind concocted all sorts of convoluted and ridiculous scenarios of Naruto single-handedly killing seven Goliath by himself. Each one was more crazy than the last and the girl even started drooling a bit. The blonde thought it best not to interrupt her and just waited for her to finish so they could have their tour.

 _She is certainly… interesting._ Yami noted while Kurama just laughed.

 _Oh, I like her! Nice catch, Naru! This should be loads of fun!_


	8. Chapter VIII

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter VIII**

After Neo's fantasies had resolved themselves, Naruto took her out into his base. To be honest, given the population and the infrastructure, he may as well start calling it a city at this point. It wasn't a Kingdom, not a province, but definitely larger than a village. Regardless of that, he was trying to think of the best place to start her tour of Mountain Glenn. "I suppose the best place to start is the Hub." He muttered, gaining the girl's attention. At her questioning look, he explained, leading her downtown.

"The Hub is what we call what was once Mountain Glenn's Town Hall. It's where the missions are given to the Clan. Since we don't have any farms or vassal villages, it's difficult to get ahold of things like food and money. Most of the missions are raids on tribal groups or establishing trade between villages in exchange for protection or the salvage we have. We also do some Grimm extermination in exchange for payment from different groups." Neo frowned. "You're thinking that the Clan is acting a lot like a Kingdom, right?" At her nod, he smiled. "Well, since we're just a branch off Adam's Fang, we don't get funding from Menagerie. The mines here give us a lot of Dust, but we needed to find a way to survive. Unlike the other Fang, we don't really… hate humanity, I guess? Don't get me wrong, most of my family _hate_ the Schnee, but humanity in general? Not so much. Out here in the wastes, everyone works together out of necessity. The Grimm are so dangerous any discrimination and hatred disappears out of a sense of survival instincts."

The girl nodded, her pink eye shifting to white momentarily before turning back to pink. "Still, we don't have too many missions yet. We have to get the trust of a village before they start asking too much from us. Resources are everything out here after all. They have to be sure that we won't just betray them like the tribals out here before investing too much into us. We only have two villages that give us anything right now. Still, it's almost enough to get by. Between them, what we take from the tribes and selling scrap we're able to survive by rationing everything. I've got talks going on in two other nearby villages that are just a little too far out of Vale's reach to keep garrisons stationed. We, on the other hand, have more than enough people to garrison members there."

Neo nodded, impressed with the solution Naruto had used to keep his family afloat after leaving the protection of the Fang's base. Three months and he'd assembled his family into something far different than the other branches of the Fang he'd seen. "Are the villages… loyal?" She asked the blonde. Naruto thought about it before nodding. "Doesn't that make them… vassals?"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "No, we aren't a Kingdom." His reply was simple, but Neo didn't think it was acceptable. Naruto had a military, was offering protection to weaker leaders in exchange for protection and a tax and had a capital city that was much larger than those he protected. What else was left for him to have a Kingdom? Cream spoke up from within her mind.

 _He can't take the Crown while there's another Kingdom in the area. Vale is too large for him to establish a Kingdom._ The voice was emotionless and apathetic, very clinical. _If we want to make him King, Vale becomes the largest obstacle. He's strong enough to be ruler, but with that much competition… plus there's Ozpin to worry about._ Neo thought about it before that grin grew. All she had to do was find a way to get rid of enough ruling members of Vale and staff of Beacon that Naruto became the only choice for King. How to give him claim though? This would require thought and research…

"Neo? You alright?" Naruto asked, watching as several emotions passed over her face, each emotion coming with a change in color of either one or both of her eyes. The girl shook out of her plotting as they returned to their inverted colors, smiling. After giving a curt nod, Naruto smiled and led her further into Mountain Glenn. Before they could go much further though, they were stopped by a member of the Clan that Neo didn't recognize.

"Lord Naruto, I have a message for you." The girl spoke in a very formal tone. She was fair of skin with raven hair tied in a bun atop her head between two rabbit ears, while she had two hair bands keeping her bangs together, each one lying over her shoulder. Onyx eyes looked at Naruto with an emotion… Neo didn't like at all. The teen also wore a teal… what were those called again? She thought that they were called a haori, if what she remembered of her time in Mistral was correct. Yes, a teal haori over hakama and a brown obi tying it all together. Neo's first thought was that she did _not_ like this girl.

"Ah, what is it Haku?" Naruto wondered, not noticing the darkening expression on Neo's face as she reached for her umbrella.

"Lord Zabuza said that he needed to speak with you immediately. It was something to do with a mission that Kisame took and needed reinforcement on. He's heading out with some members to aid him, but wanted to request your presence given the… severity of the situation." The blonde nodded.

"Thank you, Haku. He's at the Armory then, I'm assuming?" Haku nodded. "I'll head over then." He looked at Neo, only now noticing the glare she leveled at Haku. "Neo?" Almost immediately, the hatred disappeared as she looked at her love and smiled. "Two things." The girl nodded. "First, would you like to accompany me? If Kisame is in trouble, it has to be something particularly bad and I need to go myself." Without a second of hesitation, she grinned and latched onto his arm. He took that as a yes. "Second, Haku is a boy."

Neo did a double-take at that knowledge, staring at the Faunus in question. He smiled and nodded, pulling the collar on his haori down enough to reveal his Adam's apple. This only caused Neo to grin even more, snuggling into the slightly shorter boy she had claimed as hers. _No one_ was going to take him from her. She would make sure of it. "Please lead the way, Haku." The rabbit Faunus nodded and led them to the Armory.

 **[Mountain Glenn Armory]**

It took several minutes to get to the Armory. Situated on the far side of the area of Mountain Glenn that the Clan had cleared out was a military base that Hidan had called Fort Cobalt. It had been responsible for keeping the city and several other nearby settlements safe from Grimm. Obviously, it had failed horribly. That said, most of the equipment seemed to survive in a condition that was repairable. Given its secure facilities, Naruto had the Clan renovate and rebuild parts of the installation for several purposes. A good portion of their supplies were kept here, under constant guard by several members whose abilities were specialized for defense and led by Guren.

Near the entrance of the Armory stood a tall man with bandages wrapped around the lower half of his face and his neck. Wearing a black, sleeveless shirt, a pair of armored gloves that extended up his forearm and a pair of matching pants, the man also carried a large cleaver-like blade on his back. "Lord Naruto, you're here." The man spoke with a look in his eyes that Naruto couldn't quite place.

"Haku here tells me that Kisame got in over his head and now we have to go save him. Is that correct?" The man paused before nodding. "Alright, who are you taking? I'm assuming Haku and Kimimaro?"

"I was also hoping to bring you along." Naruto nodded.

"I was planning on accompanying you. Oh, Neo will be coming as well. She arrived yesterday and while I was planning on giving her a tour… I think this will be a little more fun." Zabuza looked at the blonde as he said that, at the eyes specifically. Oddly, he didn't notice any red when Naruto spoke those words. Was Kisame influencing their leader, perhaps? That didn't sound like a good thing…

"We're going to have to take the Bullhead. Kisame and Suigetsu are on the Red Coast." The blonde widened his eyes, which quickly turned violet at the name. Zabuza stepped back as Yami's Aura flared dangerously, threatening to crush him beneath its weight. Haku was shaking and Neo… for some reason, she had the largest grin on her face Zabuza had ever seen and looked as if she was about to orgasm.

"What is wrong with that idiot? And he took Suigetsu with him? Did he have a death wish? That… that… that imbecile is going to get it so bad when I get my hands on hi-" Yami's voice suddenly stopped as violet gave way back to cerulean. With Naruto back in control, his Aura receded as he breathed deeply. "Sorry about that. Still, at least I could keep Kurama back. Are you two alright?" Naruto asked Zabuza and Haku, having seen Neo's… reaction. They nodded, though were still a little shaken up. It really put in perspective why _he_ was the leader. "Oh, where's Kimimaro?"

"I'm here, Naruto." He heard a voice from further down the wall before looking up, seeing Kimimaro sitting atop it. "Are we ready to leave?" The blonde looked at the other three. Zabuza looked serious, Haku seemed ready and Neo… well, she was still a bit delirious from his Aura. Two out of three wasn't bad and she would be fine by the time they got to their destination. He nodded, which was the only signal Kimimaro needed. Pulling out his Scroll, the boy dialed a number. "Go ahead and start it up. We're leaving as soon as we get there." He told whoever was piloting the Bullhead before jumping to the ground and landing on his feet, Aura cushioning the force. "After you, Captain." The boy gestured. Naruto smiled and took the lead, Neo still attached to his arm as she followed with a dreamy expression as she was trying to come down from the feeling of his Aura. The others followed closely behind. Still… if they were going to the Red Coast things could get rough. He needed to be on his guard the entire time.

 **[Red Coast]**

The coastline nearest the mountain range that Vale was settled near was known as the Red Coast. It gained this name due to deep red color of the sand over several kilometers worth of beach. According to legend, there was a battle against a large Grimm here before the Great War and it took the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. The sand was stained with their blood as a reminder of where they'd died and what they'd died for. Whether it was true or not mattered less at this point than what was true currently.

It was home to the largest Nest within 1000 kilometers of Vale. _That_ was why Yami had lost his mind when he found out where Kisame had gone. Naruto didn't know the full story right now, but he would certainly find out. There was absolutely _no_ reason his Clan should be on the Red Coast, let alone _those_ two. "Where are they, Zabuza?" Naruto asked. Despite the calm voice, the other members of the squad could tell just how much he was holding his emotions back.

"We… don't actually know." The man answered after a few moments. "We received the distress signal from Kisame's Scroll, a message on loop and a location. However, given it was a message on loop…" The blonde nodded with a sigh.

"He's probably not there anymore. Okay, we should start with the last known location and search for anything that might lead us to them. Our priority is getting everyone out of here safely. That includes all of you. I don't want any unnecessary risks." Everyone nodded as the ship began hovering over a particular stretch of beach. Naruto stood and headed over to the cockpit, finding Hidan. "Land away from the coast, in an area where there aren't any Grimm or threats to the Bullhead. Make sure that you're ready to take-off at a moment's notice wherever I send the signal. Chances are, if you get the signal instead of a call from me we need _immediate_ evacuation."

"Of course, Lord Uzumaki! You're sure you don't want me to go with you though?" Naruto shook his head.

"I need you to keep the Bullhead safe. Without it, there's very little chance of us getting out of here. You have the most important job. We'll all die if you make a mistake." Hidan nodded with a grin. Naruto turned back to this team as the door of the aircraft opened. "Alright, let's head down there now!" As Naruto spoke, his cerulean eyes bled into bright red, calm expression becoming a mad grin. "We've got a shark to skin and Grimm to kill!" Red turned to purple as Yami spoke. "Don't let your guard down! Move as a team!" As violet turned back to cerulean, Naruto jumped from the vehicle, sure he would be quickly followed.

Even before he hit the ground, Naruto knew this wasn't going to be easy. Using Boreas to slow his descent, frost coating the sand as he landed, Naruto had to immediately roll away from the Boarbatusk that tried to steamroll him with its pinwheel attack. Coming to his feet, he noted that it wasn't a normal Grimm. It was Alpha-class.

Every Grimm had several classifications. There was species, for one, which dictated abilities, instincts and strategies required to counter it. Just as important was class and rank. The classes could be divided into Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Sigma and Omega based on strength and size while ranking consisted of King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight and Pawn based on specific roles. All Grimm below Alpha Class were considered to be Pawns while ranks could be used to describe how powerful an Alpha Class was as well as its role in a Nest.

The Mammoth Boarbatusk, as Alpha Class were commonly known as, recovered and began spinning again. Sand was thrown in every direction as it did so. Activating his All-Seeing Eyes and First Spark, Naruto waited for the beast to rush at him. He was not left in suspense for long and jumped out of the way. As he did, he drew on some Fire Dust he had in Hammerspace and launched several spears of orange flames that slammed into the thing's flank. The force caused the boar-like Grimm to lose balance and topple to its side. Snorting loud enough to rock the ground, it tried to recover back to its feet but only managed to kick up more dust.

Naruto took this opportunity to get close to it and pull out a large pike from Hammerspace. Channeling First Spark through it, he stabbed the blade _deep_ into his enemy's soft belly. Within moments, it exploded into black dust, coating the red sand it had laid on. Storing the pike back in Hammerspace, Naruto turned and saw that his soldiers and Neo had landed. The blonde walked over to them, not even bothering to reign his Aura in anymore. Zabuza and Haku seemed to want to stay some distance from him given he had also lost his emotional restraint, the anger at his stupid family members public for all to see. Kimimaro walked next to Naruto as if he was unfazed. In truth, it was only because of how much resistance he had from working all those times with Kurama. Certainly, that psychopath had his good points. Neo was holding herself back as she felt the Aura, understanding the severity of the situation.

With Naruto's Aura fully open and unrepressed, Neo looked closely at it. Usually, someone's Aura was one color. It might be bright, or murky, or a blend, but it was always a single color. Her lover had something… unique though. Reds, blues, greens, yellows, violets… every color of the spectrum she could think of and some she didn't know the name of swirled around him. While another Huntsman might have their Aura close to their body to keep them from being harmed during a fight, his was spread out and almost… phantasmal and ephemeral. It looked as if she had been transported to some ghost world with the way the air shone different, almost translucent colors, how the ground was a deep, blood red and the way the sky shone a dark grey due to the concentration of Grimm in the area.

As an Illusionist, Neo prided herself in details. She could discern differences in an environment almost immediately. This though… this was the work of a master artist, a genius painter who took his brush to the air itself. She wasn't sure whether Naruto was the artist and the world was his canvas or vice-versa. When she saw him take on an Alpha Class single-handedly and take it down in mere seconds, all her fantasies had been turned to reality.

He had power beyond what even she had comprehended. So _why_ was he so submissive to Cinder? Why didn't he just kill her and free the Fang from her grasp? What could possibly cause someone with _this_ much power to abstain from taking everything that rightly belonged to him. Why didn't he have at least his own Kingdom by now? These were the questions Neo _needed_ answers to. She would find out and then she would help him get everything coming to him. Just what did he have coming to him, one might ask?

The world, Neo would give him the whole world. He deserved nothing less.


	9. Chapter IX

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter IX**

The Red Coast was known as one of the most dangerous regions in Vale. The team was quickly finding that it had gained that reputation for a reason. Greater Nevermore, Giant Deathstalkers, Ursa Major and Alpha Beowolf were some of the Grimm that they had fought so far. Actually, that's what they were fighting _right now_. And it wasn't even the _first_ time they'd had to take on multiple Alpha Class simultaneously since they'd been there.

"Neo, above you!" The girl rolled out of the way as one of the three Nevermore tried to dive at her, casting a Lightning Bolt that hit its wing. It simply took to the sky again, waiting with the others. Naruto himself had to jump back or be gouged by the Ursa Major's razor claws. Immediately rolling to the side, he avoided a swipe from one of the Beowolf as well. First Spark and All-Seeing Eyes were allowing him to keep up and dodge, but little else.

As he came to his feet, he jumped and activated Boreas to give him some air. Accessing Hammerspace, he pulled out a military-grade grenade launcher that had been in the Armory. It was one of several weapons he had added to his arsenal after searching through the base. The Ursa stopped as it was hit, taking some time to gather itself. The Beowolf rushed forward as the blonde landed, intent on dinner. With the lupine Grimm too close for him to use it again, he returned it to Hammerspace, forcing the sand in front of him to rise in a sandstone wall.

This was Mother's Will, a Semblance that allowed him to manipulate the minerals in a landscape. It was different from Master Architect because he wasn't converting any matter, he was using what was already there and just altering its properties using pressure and heat. The wall held for a few seconds at most, but it was enough for the blonde to put some distance. He noted that he was now close to Kimimaro, who was fighting a Giant Deathstalker on his own. His long-time partner seemed to be deep in concentration as he danced around stingers and pincers though, so he didn't bother him and thought it better to lead the two away from him.

Drawing on enough Fire Dust to cause his Aura to match the sand, Naruto readied a spell as the Beowolf approached him. Charging the Dust into his hand and layering heavy amounts of First Spark around it, he cast his Spell. An immense pillar of white fire surrounded by blue electricity launched and slammed directly into the wolf, who whined as they made contact. It only existed for a few second, but, then again, so did the Beowolf. Grinning, the blonde widened his eyes as the Ursa tried to swipe him from behind. Rolling to avoid being minced, he mentally slapped himself for forgetting about the other one.

Still, while the Ursa had more power, it was ultimately slower than the Beowolf. That put Naruto at a distinct advantage thanks to First Spark and his natural speed. From Hammerspace, he grabbed .50 caliber Dust rifle and took aim at the beast. Lumbering towards him at speeds that seemed sluggish compared to the Beowolf, it didn't stand a chance as Ice Dust rounds exploded into its head, ripped out chunks of its arm and gouged its torso. Even with chunks missing, it kept going. By sheer force of will, it seemed to hold itself together. Naruto frowned and chambered another round, taking aim. One, final explosion of ice pierced through its eye and caused its head to explode from the inside out, ending the beast then and there.

Locking the weapon up, he was able to survey the situation. Neo was still dealing with the Nevermore, Kimimaro had his Deathstalker and Zabuza and Haku were busy with two other Nevermore. He decided to aid Neo, as she seemed at the largest disadvantage. Appearing at her side in a burst of electrically-enhanced speed, he was just in time to pull her back from its talons. She looked at whoever had saved her and grinned when she saw that he was there. "Need some help?" He asked. She smiled appreciatively before looking back at the airborne threat which she couldn't reach.

Naruto, on the other hand, had long ago developed a counter to these creatures. An airborne Grimm was a dangerous one given the distinct advantage it had over Hunters. Activating Boreas, he spread his control as far as he could. While the raven-like Grimm was several dozen meters above them, his ability _did_ reach it. The downside was that its strength dropped the farther away from him the air was that he was trying to manipulate. He swirled the air around the Nevermore weakly, causing it to drop in temperature.

After a short time, the Nevermore began to flap its wings harder, not understanding what was happening. Not long after, its wings were coated in frost as it lost altitude. The more it dropped, the closer it came to Naruto and the stronger the air flow under his control. Once it was only six meters away, he had the air force the bird to the ground with enough power to snap bones in its left wing. Neo grinned at that, unsheathing the blade in her umbrella. Walking over to the Grimm, she stabbed her reinforced steel through its eyes all the way to the hilt. It exploded nearly immediately.

Sheathing her blade, she turned to Naruto. "You go help Zabuza and Haku, I'll aid Kimimaro." Neo nodded once and rushed off to perform her task while Naruto did the same. Pulling the sniper rifle from Hammerspace once more, Naruto took aim at the Deathstalker's back leg on the left side. Firing, he was satisfied as it shattered, the wound coated in thick crystals of ice. Kimimaro, for his part, took advantage of this by separating from the thing. Crafting bony armor to coat his body and pulling out two bone swords from his arms, he only glanced at Naruto once and nodded in thanks. The Deathstalker was slightly slower to move now. It was noticeable, but still not a large decrease.

It was enough though. Kimimaro took the opportunity to lunge and aimed for the thing's mask. Likely on instinct, its pincers covered its face to block the strike. Taking note, Naruto quickly aimed once more and fired for the joint that connected the left pincer's arm to the cephalothorax. As before, the appendage was blow off, replaced by crystals of ice. The Deathstalker turned its attention to the blonde, breaking from Kimimaro in an attempt to head after him. He didn't allow it, however. With a flurry of strikes, the scorpion-like Grimm was forced to turn its attention back to him, else take serious damage to its side.

It attempted to slam its armored pincer against the boy, who blocked with his heavily protected arms. As its stinger tried to skewer Kimimaro, Naruto shot the tail. It didn't cause it to separate, but it _did_ throw it off course enough to hit the ground instead. Ice coated the tail itself and obviously made it more difficult for the arachnid to move it. Reloading his weapon, Naruto aimed his weapon for the segment that connected the tail and stinger, removing that from the Deathstalker's arsenal. Kimimaro, meanwhile, was attacking the thing's head. With only one pincer to protect itself, it took serious damage. With one final lunge, both swords pierced eye sockets and caused the arachnid to explode into black dust.

Sending the weapon back to Hammerspace, Naruto turned to look at the final battle and found that Haku's Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystal Semblance had allowed her to bring Zabuza and Neo to the air. His… lover – why did thinking that make him smile? – was atop one of them and stabbing into its eye while Zabuza rode the other and had caused it to crash into the ground. All in all, he was glad he had brought such a competent team with him. While he certainly wouldn't call this _fun_ , it _was_ nice to see how far his Clan had trained and how talented they were.

 **[Unknown Location]**

Deep in the wastes of an unknown location, Cinder was before her Mistress. Queen of the Nether, Empress of all Grimm and Sculptor of Blight, Salem sat calmly upon the seat of her Council Room. At present, only one member was there, that being Cinder, as well as the woman's two guards. Salem herself was definitely inhuman. With a bone-white complexion broken only by the black veins bulging around her eyes and trailing down her cheeks, a pair of bright red eyes set in sclera that were so dark a shade of black they seemed to never end and a smirk on black lips, she was slightly terrifying, even to her most loyal followers. White hair was pulled into a bun on the back of her head with three cylindrical appendages of follicles coming out on either side tied up with black ribbon as well as bangs coming down over her shoulders in a twister-like fashion. She wore a form-fitting black dress with sleeves that opened into a cloak past her knees with a purple interior, a high collar and a small portion of her bust opened with purple edging that went from the opening to her collar. Elegant, if monstrous, was the overall look of the woman.

"My, my, it seems he is just as skilled as you led me to believe." The woman spoke in an entirely human-sounding voice, and a sultry one at that. Cinder nodded. She knew what her Mistress was doing. As the Grimm's Empress, she could not only commune with her subjects and creations, but also experience what they did. She could see what they saw, hear what they heard, feel what they felt, smell what they smelt and taste what they tasted while still retaining her own senses. It spoke of just how wide a gap in power she had over humanity if something like that was one of her _minor_ powers.

"Of course, I wouldn't think of deceiving you. His Aura is… ridiculous. Even after gaining half of the Fall Maiden's powers, I still felt as if I was… insignificant. I found out that he absorbs the Aura, Semblances and memories of anything he kills and adds it to his own. Given what I also learned of Kurama, one of his personas, I think it is safe to say that he has taken… a lot of lives." Salem narrowed her eyes.

"Just like _him_. He has powers of the soul… the power to take the most precious part of someone. If it weren't for the fact that I knew exactly where Ozpin was, I might think it was him gaining access to new abilities. He's definitely not _that_ man, but perhaps… I shall need to time to think of this. For now, continue your efforts to groom him using the psychotic one. If he is who I think, then we will need to make sure he is on our side. Even if he isn't, his ability is useful enough that I wish to have him in my court. The less powerful humans and Faunus that Ozpin has the better."

Cinder nodded, wondering what her Mistress was seeing. Noticing this, Salem smiled. "I see you are curious. Let me just say that he is… turning the Red Coast black with Blight just to find two members of his Clan." Cinder widened her eyes while Emerald and Mercury shared a look. It was amazing they even survived their fight.

"Well, Kurama certainly is the most aggressive of them. I suppose it makes sense that someone that ferocious could take down so many Grimm of that level." Cinder stated, nodding her head. Salem chuckled and shook her head.

"It's not Kurama. It is Naruto himself. The sleeping lion has awoken to protect his cubs, as it were. Kurama is the lioness, hunting to keep him fed and Yami is the son, keeping threats away. Naruto is the lion, who seems to be incapable of anything violent… until the hyenas get too close and need to be reminded exactly what their place is." The self-proclaimed Fall Maiden nodded slightly, understanding that Salem was giving her a warning. She needed to be… careful. If she made a misstep, then she might be the next hyena. Still, she had a mission to do and she would do it. Everything was riding on Salem's trust in her.

 **[Red Coast]**

"Well, it looks like this is it." Kimimaro explained as the group arrived at a cave. He was holding his Scroll and tapped it a few times before nodding. "Yeah, this is the source of the distress signal. They could be in here… or perhaps at least a clue to their whereabouts." Tapping his Scroll again, a bright light emitted from the back of it that lit up the darkness. Honestly, it was mostly for Neo's sake given the rest of them could see inside easily enough.

The cave wasn't exactly that deep though. Only a dozen meters and they had reached the end of it. Searching around, Kimimaro found Kisame's Scroll. "The imbecile has a damn lock on his Scroll…" Kimimaro sighed before Neo snatched it from his hand. The others watched as she did… something to it. They weren't sure exactly what, except that her Aura had flared momentarily and then she grinned. Holding it out to Naruto, she looked at him expectedly. Taking it, he smiled. "Thank you Neo." He spoke gratefully. She still looked at him expectedly, lowering her head slightly. Naruto's eyes lit up with realization and he patted her head, watching as her grin widened even more.

Looking at the Scroll, he began going through it to try and find anything that might be of use. Finally, he found something that could actually help. "It seems that they were coming from the east before they stopped in here and sent the signal." Yami pointed out. "If we trace their former trajectory and estimate distance based on their known speed, endurance and the fact that they had something threatening on their tail…" He turned on the Scroll's holo-projection feature to show a map of the Red Coast that had a pip of their current location. "We should be able to find them in this general area." A large circle formed around an area of approximately 10 kilometers with a radius that was 25 kilometers away from the pip, based on the map's legend. Naruto took control again and turned it off, sealing it away in Hammerspace.

"Wait… that area… damn it!" Zabuza cursed, gaining the attention of the others. He seemed to be concentrating and thinking about something. "I think… I think I know why they came here." This was news to the other four, who looked at the Swordsman. "I'm sure you already knew this, but Kisame and I were originally human Huntsmen along with our five teammates. We all came from Mistral and ended up finding an old tomb with seven Aura-powered weapons that we think were created before the Great War. Kisame has his Sharkskin that can eat Blight, Aura and Dust to heal its wielder. I've got the Executioner's Blade, that can repair itself by using the blood of those it kills, stores excess blood away and can manipulate it after releasing it back into the air. Ameyuri had the Fangs, which convert Aura into Lightning and can manipulate it based on her imagination. Kushimaru had the Sewing Needle, which could indefinitely create steel wires from its hilt. Jinin had the Helmet Splitter, which could destroy even the thickest armor of the Grimm. Jinpachi had Splash, a sword that was capable of causing explosions upon impact and somehow not harm the wielder. Lastly was our leader, Mangetsu. His Flounder could have Aura channeled into it and take multiple forms by manipulating it, the constructs being hard as steel.

"We ended up digging a little too deep into the Schnee Dust Corporation during a freelance mission we had taken. At that time, they killed Jinin and Ameyuri, but we managed to get their blades and ran. We decided that the Schnee were simply too powerful to take on and split up. Jinpachi was taken by bounty hunters in Vacuo, who kept Splash. I think the owner is a warlord out in the wastes. Kushimaru, last I heard, was hiding in a mountain range on Anima. He went off the grid completely. That's what we all should have done… Kisame and I were captured by the Schnee Dust Corporation's Military Operations Division and sent to Orochimaru. He began tests on our weapons and on us. Kisame was his test subject on injecting Faunus DNA into a human, which made him more animal than human… I got lucky, I guess. If you call being injected with Blight lucky.

"Mangetsu, he was able to stay out of their grasp though. He was the strongest of us. He was… something special. It took us _everything_ to master our blades. He mastered _all_ of our swords. That's why he was our leader. From what I know, he hid Fang and Helmet Splitter and remained in the wastes. Even though we were on the run, he never stopped his duty as a Huntsman. Out here in the Velian wastes, he took out tribals, exterminated Grimm and helped the settlements when he could. He ended up making contact with the Branwen Tribe though. Their leader was… too much for him. He ended up fleeing here to the Red Coast, the one place she wouldn't follow him. Gravely injured, he still fought his way through all the Grimm that came near him and found a cave to die in. Once he was safe, he sent a message to all of the Swordsmen and to his brother. This was before Kisame and I had been taken. When we heard, we got together and were going to go find him. That's when they got us. Damn Schnees and their Control Tower informants… They got us, and they got him, Suigetsu."

Naruto sighed, understanding a little more of what happened. "Suigetsu, you idiot… why didn't you just tell me?" Shaking his head, he looked at his team. "Let's go get that imbecile… and the sword." Zabuza looked at the blonde, appreciation shining in his eyes, and nodded. He couldn't quite tell because of the bandages, but he thought that the man was smiling.


	10. Chapter X

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter X**

"Suigetsu, you're an idiot." Upon finding the two missing Faunus, that was the first thing that Naruto told the older boy. Usually, he would make a big fuss and deny such an accusation, but he just looked at the ground. This was due to a combination of shame and the fact that Naruto and his team had come in, killed five Alpha-class and one Knight-level Grimm that they were _definitely_ going to be eaten by, and then greeted him with that sentence.

"That said, I understand why you did it." The blonde continued. "Or, at least, I think I do. If something similar happened to Adam, I think I might do the same. It doesn't make it any less idiotic though." He pointed out the last statement when Suigetsu looked like he was going to start smiling weakly. He immediately sighed and nodded. "Now, Kisame, would you kindly explain to me what in the name of Dust you two were thinking?"

The shark-like man held up his hands in defense. "Hey, this wasn't my idea. The kid has been asking me a lot about Mangetsu lately and I may have… accidentally let it slip where Flounder was. He trained the last month and took missions that would specifically have Alpha-Class threat levels. He tried getting me to come along, but when I refuse he just said he'd go alone. I thought he was bluffing, but when he didn't show up for dinner last night… I decided to check for his Scroll's signal and chased after him. Oh, that reminds me, we're gonna need to send in retrieval teams for two Hawks that _may_ have been hit by a Rook-level Drake-type Grimm's breath attack."

The blonde could _feel_ anger rising, but stomped it down. "Okay, look, everything here would have been for nothing if we just leave. We're going to get this sword." Suigetsu started smiling. "That said, I'm not letting you touch it for three months." If anything, Suigetsu just grinned wider. "Now, how far away from the resting place are we, Kisame, Zabuza?"

They looked at each other for a moment before Zabuza spoke. "Well, here's the thing. The Swords give off this… feeling. It's not so much an Aura as something else. They're _very_ powerful, but also have this tendency to… attract Grimm. We never learned to sense it, even if Mangetsu did. He told us it was like a… void of emotions. All of the worst negative emotions rolled into one that collapsed under the weight of its own despair."

Naruto looked at the sky and sighed as he realized what Zabuza was driving at. "It's wherever the King and Queen are, isn't it?" He didn't even have to look to know he received a nod from the two of them. The blonde turned to his party and gritted his teeth as he thought. "Zabuza, take Suigetsu back to the ship and tell Hidan to trace the signal on my Scroll." The man nodded and Suigetsu didn't put up much of a fight, understanding the _immediate_ threat that a King, let alone a Queen, posed. "Neo, you're on retrieval. Your illusions affect Grimm too, right?" She nodded. "Haku, stay with Neo and teleport out of danger if you're found out. Kimimaro and Kisame, you're with me. It's time to go hunting."

 **[Bullhead]**

Hidan was not what one might call a normal man. Or sane. But mostly normal. Zabuza and Suigetsu _really_ shouldn't have been surprised at what they found upon arriving at the ship. They were, but even they couldn't understand why they didn't think this would happen. Somehow, the zealot had had the time to do… whatever it was he was doing. "Zabuza, I really want to know what that is but I'm scared of what the answer will be." Suigetsu commented to his brother's friend, getting an affirming nod. The man didn't seem to have seen them yet and was continuing to feverishly assemble… something.

"Hidan!" Turning with a deranged grin on his lips – and blood, lots of blood all over him – the cultist made eye contact. "What the hell is this?" Hoisting his scythe like some sort of scepter, the silver-haired mystic's grin widened even further.

"I wanted to help Lord Uzumaki as much as possible, so I made a shrine and gave him some sacrifices!" Now that the two thought about it, that was something he _would_ do and the scene before them matched that description. There was a large spiral on the floor about 3 meters in radius made out of blood and Blight, the substance Grimm are formed from. In the very center of the spiral, which was Naruto's Emblem, was a meter and a half tall sculpture of a fox formed from Grimm bone. _How do you even get Grimm bone?_ Within the spiral itself there were _dozens_ of human corpses and _hundreds_ of Grimm masks and a countless number of Grimm mask shards that weren't even recognizable anymore. "Did it help? Well, Suigetsu is here, so of course it did! I bet Lord Uzumaki will be so proud of me!"

Zabuza and Suigetsu shared a look but didn't mention that while Kurama would approve greatly, they doubted Naruto would. Then again, he _did_ tend to spoil Hidan, so there was no telling what would happen. "Actually, Naruto needs your help." Zabuza mentioned as he broke from that train of thought. "We're extending the mission objective a little and searching for one of the Seven Swords that's somewhere in the Red Coast. We were sent to find you and tell you to search for and follow the signal on Naruto's Scroll. We need aerial support, which I can provide, and you can provide some ground support against the Grimm."

Lowering his scythe as Hidan's eyes gained far more zeal and his grin toned down slightly, he gave off an all too grim aura. Placing his weapon on his back with a more serious air about him, the cultist somehow became even _more_ terrifying. "It shall be as Lord Uzumaki wills. Let us be off." Boarding the Bullhead before either the Swordsman or the Hozuki could say anything, they had to rush on the vessel or else be left behind. Knowing Hidan, he would do it too. _Nothing_ stopped him from serving Lord Uzumaki. _Nothing_.

 **[Red Coast – Central Nest]**

One of the most dangerous things that one could encounter in the World of Remnant was a Grimm Nest. In the Huntsmen Handbook of Survival, a Nest is defined as any gathering of Grimm that is self-sustaining due to the presence of a Queen Grimm. Queen Grimm, on the other hand, are defined as any Grimm that is large enough in size, scope and power that it can spawn Pawns from its own mass. While not as individually powerful as a King, a Queen could bring droves against an unprepared Huntsmen at a moment's notice and win by virtue of numbers.

The Red Coast was home to no less than three documented Nests, known as the Greater Nest, the Central Nest and the Lower Nest respectively. The terms were not meant to differentiate power levels – those could change as often as hourly given without an enemy, Grimm tended to move towards infighting and supremacy amongst themselves. They simply referred to time and location. While the Greater Nest was located farthest to the west of the coastline and the Lower was to the East, the Central covered the center parts of the coast. It was thought by some Huntsmen that the Red Coast's Central Nest gave birth to the Greater and Lower Nests since there was only ever one King and one Queen per Nest.

There was no such limit on Knights, Rooks and Bishops however.

"I've never seen so many before…" Kimimaro, who was more used to going on missions against the Schnee than against Grimm, breathed out slowly. He had a pair of bones in his hands, already preparing for what would no doubt be one of the hardest fights of his life. Kisame nodded, remembering the first time he'd encountered a Nest. Naruto, who had more experience than Kimimaro in this regard was scanning for very particular things. Getting the white-haired boy's attention, the blonde began.

"I know you haven't fought many Grimm, Kimimaro, so I'll do my best to give you everything you need to know quickly. What you're used to fighting at known as Pawns, they're the weakest forms that Grimm take." He received a nod, so continued. "There are actually three… tiers that they can be classified under: Progenitors, Protectors and Pawns. The first two are further divided. Protectors can be divided into Knights, Bishops and Rooks. Progenitors are the King and Queen of a Nest. The exact power structure goes King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook and then Pawn. Each level up there's a difference in power by roughly a factor of 5. Technically, it can be anywhere between a factor of 2 and 10 depending on exact species, but 5 is a good average to remember.

"As I said, Pawns are the weakest. Rooks are formed when a Pawn is exposed to enough negative energy and has consumed an amount of Aura roughly equivalent to one hundred Huntsmen. While the form stays similar – meaning that it's still based around whatever animal they took before – they become bigger, stronger, faster and more resilient. Their bones also begin to cover more of their Blight, making them more difficult to kill on top of the bonuses. Some Bishops even gain access to some low level powers and higher – though still sub-human – intelligence due to all the Aura they consumed.

"Through a similar process – though this time it requires the equivalent Aura of roughly 1000 Huntsmen – a Rook will turn into a Knight. They have a similar evolution except they become more humanoid and concentrate the new power they've gained in a smaller body. Their bodies are about 80% bone at this point and have so much Aura that they're at least as intelligent as an average human and all of them have low to medium tier powers influenced by the types of Auras they've consumed prior to Promoting.

"10,000 more souls and the Grimm attain Bishop status. At this point they look like alabaster-skinned humans that are highly intelligent with Semblance-level powers of Master rank and… it's not quite a soul, but something like it. A corrupted Aura that is known as Nether. Their Blight is completely covered and it's impossible to kill them the easy way. To make it even worse, their Nether protects them from Aura and physical attacks. The upside is that they're _highly_ weak against Dust for some reason. It might just be that they can't get rid of that racial weakness no matter how far they evolve.

"Lastly is the King and Queen. Oddly enough, Queens evolve from Rooks in a way different from Knights. If, instead of consuming humans, a Knight consumes other Grimm then their Blight mass increases and they grow. At a particular size, they are capable of spawning other Grimm from their bodies without any noticeable change in their size. When they can Spawn hundreds without changing size, that's when they're classified as a Queen and no longer a Rook. Kings on the other hand are an alternate evolution from Knights. By consuming both Grimm and humans, a Knight can become something… more than human and less than human. Even Yami doesn't know exactly what happens, but the effect is widely documented. Larger than life humanoid monsters with all the powers and intelligence of a Bishop and a size that puts even Alpha Class Pawns to shame, though not quite so big as to be a Queen."

Kimimaro, having heard Naruto's miniature lesson, looked down at the Nest from their position on the side of a cliff. He was attempting to find any of these other Grimm that Naruto had explained to him, but wasn't exactly sure he could. "Luckily for us, it seems that this Nest is mostly Pawns. Even Rooks take years to form under the best of circumstances given most people don't have that much Aura." Scanning the area, he nodded. "Yeah, if there was a Rook, you'd know, and I don't see any Knights or Bishops. That said, a Queen is required for a Nest to form and Queens always attract Kings vying for her attention. At the very least we can expect that we'll need to fight those unless Neo and Haku can find Flounder before then."

Kisame reached for his own weapon and pulled it off his back. It was still coated in bandages, but he quickly remedied that by shaking it a little. The effect was immediate. _Every_ Grimm looked up at the cliff as one. Kisame simply grinned in response as he held Sharkskin up high. "Then let's give them as much time as we can!" He yelled before jumping from the cliff and slamming the scaled 'blade' against the mask of an Ursa Major hard enough to shatter it on impact. Naruto's own eyes bled into a deep, burning red as Kurama took over with his own grin. Kimimaro, the only calm – and sane, some might say – one of the three was the last to jump.


	11. Chapter XI

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XI: Burdens**

"Zabuza, don't you think we're a little… too close to the ground?" Suigetsu couldn't help but to ask as he looked down upon the _sea_ of black and white below them. The loading ramp of the ship was lowered in preparation for Hidan – mostly as a countermeasure to him ripping a hole in the Bullhead due to impatience. Zabuza looked at the Grimm nest and shrugged.

"The only thing we have to worry about are Nevermore or some sort of Draco-type Grimm. We should be fine unless the latter shows up, really." Suigetsu swallowed, thinking it might be better not to mention that it was just such a Grimm that knocked down their ships they arrived in. Feeling a shift in the aircraft as Hidan no doubt switched it to autopilot, the swordsman turned away from the hatch. "Let's head back up before he gets here. It won't do anyone any good if he bumps into you and you fall out." Suigetsu nodded his head and followed after the man.

It seemed that Zabuza wasn't out of place in his suggestion as Hidan came barreling through the cargo hold with the most deranged grin either had ever seen on his face. Hugging the walls to allow him passage, they watched as the acolyte jumped off the ramp, scythe in hand and yelling something that was half-scream, half-hymn in Naruto's name. "I swear, I'll never get used to that man." Zabuza commented with a sigh as he headed up to the cockpit. Suigetsu took the seat next to him.

Flipping a few switches and turning a few dials, he watched as the navigation computer lit up. "Alright, luckily for us those puppet-boys modified this thing just in time for an Extermination Run." Pressing a yellow button on the console, Zabuza grinned as he felt something whir from beneath the wings.

"What did they add?" Suigetsu wondered.

"Toys. The best toys a Huntsman could ever ask for." That was when the automatic fire started. At the time, and since, Suigetsu could never be sure whether it was Hidan or Zabuza who had the more deranged smile.

 **[The Coven]**

Cinder and her assistants didn't know _what_ Salem was witnessing but she looked halfway between orgasm and outrage. None dared speak up for fear of what she might do, but none needed for she was the one to speak. "Yes… I think the boy will do nicely." With a wave of Salem's hand, a new chair popped up at the table. Cinder widened her eyes, knowing what her boss was implying. Implications were thrown out the window as the Grimm-like entity rose gracefully.

"The boy, he is so young, so fragile… so broken. I can see what he fears, what he wants, what he _hates_. He has ambition, just like the others. He has weakness, just like all of you humans. More than that, he has strength. He has more strength than I have seen in such a long time. His followers turn to him and his strength but do not admonish him for his weakness. Still… I do so hope that girl of yours is as good as you imply, Cinder. I will have him one way… or another. He entices me, in a way I didn't expect to be. That seat there, it will be reserved for when he is ready, whether he is willing or not. Do _not_ disappoint me."

Cinder nodded, bowing her head to the woman. "Of course, it shall be as you say." Turning away from the trio, Salem left the Coven's meeting room, leaving them alone.

"What was that all about?" Mercury wondered with a sigh. Emerald shrugged, but it was Cinder who spoke.

"It seems that She's taken more of an interest in Naruto than I thought possible." She paused before shaking her head. "No, that's not quite right. She's taken in interest in what he represents and the potential his group has. That boy, whether he knows it or not, will be unable to just sit back and follow Adam. We have… a mission, it seems. We must first ensure that he falls for the girl and then have her lead him down the road She wishes him to."

"You got all that from what she said?" Emerald asked. "I thought she was just being cryptic, like usual." Cinder looked at her followers and realized she had much to teach them still. They were children after all; children trying to play an adult's game. Just like Naruto. Unfortunately for him, the rules were never meant to be fair and he was never meant to be left alone. It was quite impossible with all the power he was throwing around. The next few months would certainly be… interesting, if nothing else.

 **[Naruto's Soulscape – Triumvirate]**

Yami watched in interest as Kurama disappeared and Naruto appeared within the Soulscape – the shared area of their metaphysical embodiments. The particular part they inhabited currently was a comfortably-sized room with three chairs facing the center. Yami sat in what appeared to be a high-backed chair of wood with a purple cushion and oak armrests. Kurama had been sitting in what appeared to be a throne of oak stained red with red cushions. The last seat was empty until Naruto arrived, but was a simple office chair. In between the seats was a very large and round table. "It seems Kurama was waiting just for something like this. It's been so long since we encountered a proper Nest." Naruto looked at Yami with a smile and nodded.

"I know he was getting antsy, but I haven't had a proper chance to let him out with all the responsibilities in Mountain Glenn." Yami was silent, thinking about what he said. "Is there something wrong, Yami? You seem more quiet than usual." The purple-eyed doppelganger of the original sighed and shook his head.

"There's something I need to show you. Kurama is fighting, so we don't need to watch right now. He'll take care of himself and the others as well as either of us could." Naruto didn't quite get what Yami was going to show him but nodded and followed anyways. As the two stood, the table and chairs disappeared. The room they sat in was then illuminated; it was circular with twelve doors set up in position like the hours of a clock, all shut tightly. Yami led Naruto to one with the number 5 on it.

"You already know that our soul is, so far as we can tell, rather strange." Yami commented as they stopped before it. At Naruto's nod, Yami continued. "Given Kurama is mostly over in the First Corridor to train against past enemies and you have control the supermajority of the time, I've been exploring the Twelve Corridors and trying to map out our Soulscape."

"Yeah, I know that. The First Corridor contains our memories and we can relive them in there. Or, as Kurama does, we can interact with shards of our memories. He uses it to practice while he's in here. The Second Corridor is our subconscious and contains our dreams, aspirations and fears. The Third Corridor is where the parts of people's Aura we take that contains their Semblance is stored and appears as a sort of library so we can categorize and keep track of them."

Yami nodded. "Correct. The Fourth Corridor is similar to the Third. It contains the memories of the souls we've taken. To end that category, we've got the Fifth Corridor. This is what I wanted to show you." Turning the doorknob on the fifth door, Yami stepped aside so Naruto could look within. At first, he wasn't sure what he was looking at. It just appeared to be a shifting mass of grey against a grey background. As his eyes adjusted however, he looked at Yami in surprise.

"If our First Corridor is the Past, our Second is the Future, our Third is the Power and our Fourth is Knowledge, then this is Asphodel." Yami explained. "I remember reading about it in one of the books on religions from before the Grimm showed up. They said that those who never accomplished greatness nor were particularly malevolent ended up in a place called the Fields of Asphodel after they died. Their soul simply wandered aimlessly for eternity, forgetting everything about their original life as the years tick on. I think this is what happens to the souls we absorb. They don't disappear into ours, they stay in here and wander. They aren't strong enough or important enough to you to end up like Kurama or I."

"What does this mean though?" Naruto asked, watching the mob of hundreds of people shuffle around aimlessly. "If they're stuck here, but their powers and their memories are in other parts of the Soulscape, what does that mean for us?" Yami closed the door and thought a moment.

"I think I'm starting to understand your Semblance a little more, but I still need to finish exploring the other Corridors. Until we know the full extent of how Burden works, we can't know how powerful it is." Naruto nodded as he looked at the door until he turned away from it. "Do you still wish for me to continue researching, Naruto?"

Ignoring the pit in his stomach at the thought of the wandering souls inside of himself, Naruto shook his head. "No, no, keep going. If I'm going to keep our family together I have to be able to take on anything. Now it's not just the Schnee to worry about, but we've got Cinder, whoever her boss is and maybe other people that would try to separate our family. On top of that, we still need to find Blake and bring her back. I need to become stronger for the Clan. Please learn everything you can, Yami."

The purple eyed strategist nodded his head. "Of course, Naruto. I will do my best. I have to keep Kurama and you from doing anything stupid, after all." Despite the words, Yami's small smile showed Naruto the playful intent behind it.

"Thanks, Yami."

 **[Beacon Academy – Headmaster's Office]**

The clock tower of Beacon Academy doubled as its headmaster's office. Large gears turned on a timer far above the mundane furnishings and paperwork of its usual denizen, cogs and springs worked intricately and each cycle of the machinery's work produced a distinct _tic_ as one second finally passed. This was the white noise that Professor Ozpin had grown used to hearing as he did his daily administrative work. One stack of paper he had finished, one he had left to do and whatever he was currently working on was in the center. It was linear, constant and simple: just like time.

Professor Ozpin himself was a man of tousled, grey hair and wise, brown eyes. A pair of shaded spectacles hung on the bridge of his nose. Around his neck was a green cowl bearing a cross-shaped pin while he wore an unzipped, black suit over a buttoned vest and green shirt in addition to a pair of long, green pants and black shoes. Leaning against his desk was the ever-present cane he was never seen without.

As he continued his work, he could hear a rapid _clack-clack_ from the hallway. He knew who it was, so he didn't outwardly react though he was curious what had Glynda in such a hurry. The semester wasn't starting for a few days yet, so it couldn't be the children. The incident with Ruby Rose was days past, if she had felt the need to object, it would have been before now. Perhaps some sort of report had come in? When the clacking stopped and a knock came a second later, the Headmaster called for the woman to come in.

"Headmaster, I have something you must be made aware of." The woman who spoke was a green-eyed woman wearing ovular glasses and had her light-blonde hair tied in a bun with a curl hanging off to the side of her face. From each ear hung a teal, tear-shaped earring that matched the pendant hanging from her collar. Aside from that, she also wore a long-sleeved white top with a keyhole neckline and gauntlet cuffs tucked inside of a high-waisted pencil skirt adorned with bronze buttons and black-brown stockings. On her back was a two-colored cape, purple on the inside and black on the outside which came to just above her bronze-heeled black boots.

"Ah, Glynda, what seems to be the issue?" Ozpin wondered. It should be interesting to see what she had, regardless of what it was. The woman approached and placed her Scroll on his desk, causing a holographic screen to flare up. He noted it was a map of the northwestern coast of Vale that some people called the Red Coast. "I don't quite see what I'm supposed to be looking at." Glynda nodded.

"That's the problem. This is our self-updating Grimm Activity map that updates on tics of 30 seconds. The Nether concentration of the Center Nest is… decreasing." Ozpin didn't allow his eyes to widen, but this certainly surprised him. Now that she mentioned it, he noted that the map updated while she was talking and the central part of the Red Coast lightened, even if only slightly. It wasn't necessarily an issue, per se. It meant that the Grimm activity of such a volatile region was losing sustainability. However, that particular region had remained strong for a long time. The fact that it was losing traction brought on more than a few questions.

"We have no teams sent to do anything in that area. As far as I know, neither do the other Academies or militaries." Ozpin commented. If he didn't know about it, it was unlikely that the missions existed. "I also doubt that the Nests have suddenly started dying off for no reason. We're really only left with one possibility." Glynda nodded as she picked her Scroll up off of the desk. "Something or someone is in the Red Coast killing Grimm in such large quantities that we're seeing it on the maps."

"What should we do, Headmaster?" Glynda wondered curiously. Ozpin thought momentarily before coming to a conclusion.

"Send in a scouting party immediately. If we can catch a glimpse of the person or persons responsible for this then we'll at least have a place to start." She nodded and turned heel, already going through the list of possible Huntsmen and Huntresses to put a team together. "Oh, and Glynda?" The Huntress gave pause, glancing at him. "I think you better send a report of this to Qrow whenever he comes back on the grid." She nodded and left.

Once more, alone with nothing but time and administrative duties, Ozpin worked.

 **[Red Coast]**

Kurama felt more alive than he could ever remember! He was covered in Nether, which wasn't as warm or satisfying as being covered in blood but knowing he was killing Grimm still gave him such a _rush_. As his claws ripped through the Nether of a Beowolf like a sword through paper, he couldn't help his grin. With his handy combination of First Spark and All-Seeing Eyes active, the pawns couldn't do anything properly besides die.

When the Alpha pawns started coming at him, he let them. Boreas froze the Nevermore where they flew and caused them to crash into several Ursa Major. When a Deathstalker rose up out of the ground in front of Kurama, didn't flinch. He didn't hesitate. He _killed_. Several spears conjured from Gravity Dust slammed into its exoskeleton and caused it to implode. That grin never left his lips. Why would it? This is what he was _created_ to do. He killed, he slaughtered, he _reveled_ in wiping out the existence of anything that might be an obstacle to Naruto. In this moment, he was reveling more than he ever had before.

As Kurama summoned a halberd from Hammerspace and slammed it into one of the seemingly endless waves of pawns, he found himself near Kisame. Samehada had slammed into the same King Taijitu which brought the two face to face. Kisame wore a matching grin to Kurama's. They didn't say anything. They didn't have to, it was understood. This is what they lived for, what they breathed for, what they would _die_ for: the thrill of the battle, the thrill of the hunt.

The only thing that caused a momentary halt in carving their path through the ocean of black and white was the sound of whirring above them. Glancing up, they could see the Bullhead come into sight. The cargo bay was suspiciously open up until the moment that a familiar maniac jumped out while screaming something nonsensical that strangely sounded religious. Knowing Hidan, it was both. Not a moment after he did, something came out of a compartment under the wings. As Kurama watched, he could see a pair of miniguns emerge and begin firing into the Nest. _So that's what those two were adding to the Bullhead._ Kurama thought with a grin even as Hidan carved a path directly to him.

"Kurama, what are Lord Uzumaki's orders?" He asked with a feverish sort of look in his eyes. The red-eyed persona grinned wider.

"Extinction." His response was simple, but it conveyed everything Hidan wanted, everything he _needed_. As the three battle maniacs dispersed, Kimimaro could only watch with a sigh.

 _Dust I hope this wasn't a terrible idea._ He wasn't referring to the mission. He wasn't referring to grabbing Flounder. He wasn't even referring to fighting an entire Nest. He was referring to getting _those three_ together in a single area. Hopefully Naruto and Yami knew what they were doing.

Hopefully.


	12. Chapter XII

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XII**

"What happened here?" The voice was quiet, barely audible against the crashing tides and sharp, autumn winds. The speaker eyed the _enormous_ piles of Nether and bone, amazed at how much _carnage_ he was seeing. Was it possible to feel bad for Grimm? He wasn't sure, but the thought definitely occurred to one Professor Peter Port. When Ozpin had asked him to check on the Red Coast, he hadn't imagined _this_ would greet him. There was so much Blight coating the beaches that it was better renamed the Black Coast. He'd _been_ to the Coast before, and seen the masses of Grimm fighting for whatever they could scavenge, even turning on one another to gain strength. To see such a seemingly permanent Nest destroyed brought an odd mixture of relief and nervousness – but not fear! – to the veteran Huntsman. Still, he would need to report this to the Headmaster. With that in mind, he adjusted the controls on the small aircraft he used to get here and made his way back to Beacon. This was big.

 **[Mountain Glenn]**

Naruto couldn't help but stare at the… honestly, slab of metal was a better way of describing Flounder than sword. This thing was what they destroyed one of the largest Nests in Vale to find. There were two wrapped hilts on the bottom running parallel to each other, connected to a thick piece of black steel – or a similar metal – which rose up and curved. Near the top, on either side of the center line that divided left from right, were two holes that mirrored each other in size, shape and position that Naruto could probably fit his arms through. Like Zabuza's own Headhunter, it seemed like an unorthodox and insane weapon to bring into combat.

It's ability seemed to be the saving grace. Laying a hand on one of the handles, he watched as the multi-colored and multi-layered Aura he called his own was summoned up and formed a shell around the hunk of metal. Using his Aura-enhanced strength – further enhanced by First Spark – he lifted it up. Upon activating First Spark, the shell solidified into an electric blue. With some effort, he manipulated the shell and watched as it formed into the shape of a broadsword eight feet in length. Manipulating it a different way, he watched as the tip flattened and the broadsword changed into some sort of double-ended battle-ax. Battle-ax became hammer and then hammer became scythe; Naruto couldn't help but snicker at the thought of using a scythe in battle and stopped channeling his Aura. Placing the weapon back on his desk, he leaned back in his chair.

 _Knock, knock!_ Hearing the sound from his door, Naruto sat a little straighter. "Come in." He allowed. As it swung open, he spotted a familiar black, pineapple-shaped ponytail. Black eyes regarded the blonde with exasperation, but that was just the default emotion of this particular person, the antlers marking him as a Deer Faunus. Shikamaru Nara wore a short-sleeved, black shirt with a green vest over that and a pair of blue pants with boots. On his waist hung a pair of trench knives, similar to the man he was apprenticed to. "Hello there, Shika." Naruto greeted.

"How troublesome." By this point, that was becoming something of a catch phrase of the boy. Still, even though Shikamaru was only two years older than him the raw intellect of the teen was astounding. It was why he was one of Naruto's trusted advisors, alongside Guren, Zabuza and Sasori. Shikamaru happened to excel in terms of strategy and administration, when he was interested that is. "Ever since your return, Suigetsu has become impossible to deal with, you know that? He's become as excitable as Hidan." Shaking his head, Shikamaru sighed. "That isn't why I'm here though. While you were gone, I took care of that thing you wanted." Stepping forward, Shikamaru set a folder on Naruto's desk.

The blonde opened it and immediately spotted Ruby Rose's name near the bottom of what appeared to be a roster list. "Oh, so you managed to get into their records? Well, if Cinder is this interested in this girl, I need to find out why." Leafing through the papers, he managed to find her school records. "Hm… so she wasn't actually that great until just over a year ago. It seems that Qrow Branwen taught her to use a scythe, and then she started excelling in all the combat areas, though her schoolwork could definitely use some work." Reading further in, Naruto found mention of a sister. "Did you get the files of the Xiao Long girl too?"

"The records of every person who is currently going to attend Beacon are in there." Shikamaru stated dully, having known Naruto was like this. "Truth be told, there are _several_ people attending Beacon this year you would be interested in. Pyrrha Nikos – the champion of Mistral's Regional Tournament three years running – is one of them. There's Weiss Schnee, second daughter of Jacques Schnee. Ruby and Yang are both going this year, the first taught by the legendary Qrow Branwen and the second by her father, the only slightly less legendary Taiyang Xiao Long. Jaune Arc, one of the last remaining descendants of Julius Arc, is going to be in attendance, though his records look iffy at best. The heir to the Winchester line is going to be there as well. The _most_ important though is the second name from the top on the first page. She didn't have any school records, but… well, she was in the roster for the next semester." As Shikamaru named several people, Naruto became more and more interested about the newest class of Beacon's freshmen. When he told him where to find the last, he couldn't resist. The silence in the room was only broken by the sound of the stack of papers falling to the ground as he read it.

"N-neesan..."

 **[Beacon Academy, Headmaster's Office]**

Gathered within Ozpin's office were himself, Glynda Goodwitch and Professor Port as he finished giving his report of his findings at the Red Coast. Both Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch were experiencing varying degrees of strong emotions as he explained his observances. "The Red Coast is… destroyed? One of the Nests?" Port shook his head. " _All_ of them?" Glynda asked in shock. At the man's nod, she looked from the veteran Professor to Ozpin, trying to decipher what was going through his head. The man she worked for never lost his calm, and this was no exception, but he still seemed a bit on edge after hearing it.

"Those Nests were each at least Level 4 threats on their own, let alone together. I don't know what we're dealing with, but it is strong, it is swift and we must remain vigilant." Taking a sip of his mug, Ozpin searched for his thoughts. "Whatever it is… or perhaps they are, seem to harbor ill-will towards the Grimm, or perhaps they just wanted to clear the Red Coast for their own purposes. Either way, we need to be prepared. With the Coast cleared, it does offer us an advantage though. We don't have to worry about those Nests. Vale is a little safer with it gone, so we will take full advantage of the situation."

"What are your orders, Headmaster?" Professor Port inquired. He waited for his employer to finish taking another drink of his mug. He had been at Beacon long enough to know the Headmaster used his mug as a way to figure out what he was going to say. Whatever Ozpin dictated, he would do his best to ensure it happened.

"Inform the others that the Nests are dispersed. Inform the Council that the Red Coast is cleared and Glynda convince them to fund settlement efforts there. If we do not clear the land while we can, new Nests may pop up. I also want Professor Oobleck to study the area, see what he can find. We don't have anything substantial, but he's performed forensic miracles before. I'm sure he'd love to solve this mystery, or the one pertaining to the Red Coast's origin if nothing else. If only this had happened a few weeks back. We have classes starting in a few days." He sighed, but shook his head. "I'll have someone qualified to temporarily replace Oobleck while he works, I don't trust anyone but him to figure this out."

"Of course, Headmaster. If that's all, I'll take care of it." Saluting the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, he made his way out of the office. After the veteran made his way down the hall, Glynda turned to her long-time boss.

"Professor Ozpin, what do you think this means? It can't be _her_ but I don't think the tribes are competent or unified enough to pull this sort of thing off either. Raven isn't even _interested_ in the coastline, and she's the only one strong enough to pull all of them together for something this big. The Fang aren't strong enough for this sort of thing either."

Ozpin looked into the murky brown liquid within his cup and seemed to be thinking. "To answer your question simply, Glynda: I don't know. The White Fang doesn't seem like they'd be interested in that territory. The tribes would sooner take what belongs to others than build their own settlements. All we can do is take advantage where we can, so that Salem can't do the same. There may be a new player, but that doesn't mean we can take our eyes off our true opponent."

Glynda seemed to hesitate a moment before she nodded once. "Shall I continue the preparations for the new semester until my time in front of the Council comes?" Ozpin nodded before taking another sip of his coffee. With that, the woman walked out, leaving Ozpin alone, once more. Looking down at the paperwork in front of him, the man set his mug down. There was always more paperwork to do, no matter what happened outside the school. It was constant, just like time. He would attend to it as he always had, as he always would until someone won. No matter who it was.

 **[Mountain Glenn Public Library]**

Naruto found himself severely distracted all day after Shikamaru revealed the files to him. There were so many interesting people attending Beacon in the next few days, but he didn't care about _any_ of them. He was far more interested in his nee-san, in the girl who had saved him emotionally where Adam had saved him physically. Blake Belladonna was going to be attending Beacon. After so long without her, he'd finally found out where she was going to be! What was he supposed to do though? Thoughts were swirling around in his head like a violent whirlwind.

 _More importantly, the spawn of that demon who employed Dr. Orochimaru will be there. Let's kill her and cause him as much pain as we can!_ Kurama growled from the Triumvirate Council Room. Naruto ignored that part of himself for now, knowing that letting Kurama out couldn't end well.

 _There may be useful people among these new recruits, but we have no way to contact them. We need to hold off on any action until we have more reliable information._

 _Screw that! We could just waltz in there and rip that little bitch's throat out, send her head back to Jacques as a warning! Then we can go for him when he's terrified and take everything he owns! That Schnee Semblance wouldn't be a bad idea to snatch up either, now that I think about it. It's a win-win, trust me!_

 _Trust you right as we walk into something even we can't heal from, maybe. Just be quiet so Naruto can think, you idiot._

The blonde found himself pacing back and forth through his room as his other personalities had their own back and forth. He only stopped when someone grabbed his hand. Looking at the bed, where the person sat, he saw Neo's eyes had become a soft white color. If he remembered correctly, that was Nil. "N-Naru, you need to relax." She explained softly, her voice barely a whisper but he could still hear it. When those white eyes shifted to pink, he knew Bri was back out. "If you don't… it'll be harder for me to… keep myself restrained… from finding your sister… and doing terrible things to her. No one… hurts my love…"

Seeing the look in Neo's eyes, Naruto allowed himself to be pulled closer. He sat on the bed next to her, even as the older girl pulled his head to her lap and started stroking his blonde locks. He wasn't sure who she was trying to calm. "I just don't know what to do, Neo." He admitted. "It's been so long since I saw nee-san. I didn't think I'd _ever_ see her again. Even if I _did_ see her, I have no idea what I would tell her. Kurama and Yami aren't being any help either and it just makes me so… so… so confused. The last time I was this confused was…" Looking up at the girl, he found himself blushing as he thought about that time on the rooftop with her.

Neo seemed to smile at the thought and leaned down, getting _way_ too close. Kissing him for a moment, she grinned at his reaction. He was just _too adorable_! Finally, she spoke. "We'll just have to go find her when she goes to Beacon… won't we?" Neo's raspy voice seemed a bit less strained as she spoke, and her smile was downright mischievous as she spoke. "I hope you… can figure out what… you want to say by then. It's going to… be a family… reunion you won't forget." Naruto turned his face away, looking off to the side.

"Thanks, Neo. I really appreciate it." He couldn't see it, but Neo was smiling softly as she softly stroked his hair.

"Anything for my love… anything."


	13. Chapter XIII

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XIII**

 **[Beacon Academy, Emerald Forest]**

Just outside of the Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses' southern cliff stood a vast assortment of ancient trees that both guarded the school from and hid an extraordinary number of Grimm species. Once the site of a grand city that now lay in ruins, the northern end of this grand terrain held several artifacts, according to its Headmaster. "Is it just me, or are these artifacts just overly large chess pieces?" Naruto wondered as he observed them without touching them. Neo nodded from her spot on a tree branch. "Well, I suppose relics can take all sorts of forms, after all." Some of the relics were already missing after some boys that Naruto didn't care that much about grabbed theirs. One among them was the heir to the Winchester family, but the blonde simply filed that information away for later.

"Someone is... coming, Naruto." Neo warned. Based on the emotionless of the voice, he figured it was probably Cream. He nodded and hid behind one of the large structures that once made up a temple. While Neo _was_ using her illusions to hide his presence, old habits died hard. When the person who appeared from the forest, was a buxom blonde he recognized as Yang Xiao Long from the files, he sighed.

"Oh, I think this is it!" She announced to whoever her partner was. Sliding down the hill on her feet, she arrived just as a second person appeared from the treeline. This one made Naruto gasp even as his heart pounded faster. _She's really here... Nee-san is here!_ He couldn't help but think as the Cat Faunus joined her partner. "How about a cute little pony?" Yang asked, motioning to a knight piece. Blake just shrugged.

Naruto didn't know what drove him, but he was running before he knew what happened. As Blake fell to the ground with an audible groan, Yang quickly turned to regard her partner and the blonde boy that looked the same age as her own sister. "Nee-san!" Blake widened her eyes as she heard the voice she didn't think she'd ever hear again. The voice she didn't think she _deserved_ to hear again. Yang looked prepared to attack the strange boy, but a look from Blake stayed the blonde girl's hand.

When Blake looked upon the boy who she had saved all those years ago, her adoptive little brother, she couldn't help but feel like he had shoved a dagger in between her ribs. Those big blue eyes were brimming with tears that threatened to escape even as he held onto her tightly. Not knowing what to do, she fell into old habits and held him back, softly stroking his spikes. "N-naruto, it's going to be okay. Please, don't cry..." She soothed him. "How did you get here?"

"Nee-san... you were gone so long and Adam... oh, he'll be so happy! I found you after so long. Shikamaru found your name on the Beacon attendance records and I knew that if we waited then we'd find you." Naruto began babbling even as he held onto her tighter, his Aura flaring up now and again with his emotions, now blue, now brown, now yellow, now white, now red. Yang just looked at the scene speechless until she heard a _thump_ from a nearby tree as Neo fell. Naruto's Aura had just been _too_ much for the poor girl.

"Naruto... I can't go back." Blake finally stated after she was able to calm him down. The look in his eyes hurt her, but she needed to continue. "I just... I can't go back. There were innocent people getting hurt and I just couldn't stand it any more." Sparing a glance at Yang, the blonde girl whistled and began walking away to go investigate that tree. Whispering to her little brother, she continued. "The Schnee Dust Company labs were one thing, but Adam started going after trains, buses, boats. If we plant bombs like that, innocent people – both humans and Faunus – get hurt. I just couldn't keep doing that. If I become a Huntress though, maybe I can help others. Maybe I can make up for the things I've done."

When blue disappeared and was replaced by purple eyes, Blake flinched. Yami stood, dusting himself off and gave Blake such a cold look, it was a wonder she didn't start sneezing. "Blake, all he wants is a family. Since he's... preoccupied, I'll give you a short rundown on what you missed in the last few months. Someone else has taken over the White Fang and is forcing Adam to go after targets he has no wish to. The Dust robberies in Vale? Those are Fang. Naruto and the Clan are now residing in the ruins of a town known as Mountain Glenn and rebuilding it. In all but name, they are no longer a part of the Fang. Only Adam is keeping him tied to the organization. He is helping the surrounding villages in exchange for resources, but still has to deal with this new White Fang boss, Cinder, every now and then just to make sure Adam stays safe. Naruto has a girlfriend now, so you missed that step in his life. The only thing keeping her from murdering you for hurting him is his love for you. The only thing keeping _Kurama_ from murdering you is Naruto's love for you. I want you to think about the boy that you hurt and tell me that you'll abandon him over some self-righteous guilt trip."

Blake looked to the side from her spot where she was still on her back. "I don't want to hurt Naruto, but I can't go back there. If he really is separate from the Fang, then I'd rather him be with me than with Adam, but I know he'd never be able to choose between us. I'm not going to make him either, that would hurt him too much. Naruto, I know you can hear me. I do love you, you're my little brother. I just... I _need_ to do this."

Those purple eyes faded back into blue as the boy looked at his sister. "I love you too, nee-san." He whispered, holding his hand out, which she took. After she stood, he wrapped his arms around the girl's waist and hugged her tightly. "I don't want to choose between you two, you're right. I just want us to be a family again." Blake stroked the back of his head softly.

"I don't know if we'll ever be the way we were before, Naruto." Blake confessed. "Can I ask you to... not tell Adam you found me? It'll just be for a while, I need to think about some things first." The blonde hesitated a moment but nodded. "If I heard Yami right... you have a girlfriend now?" Naruto paused and nodded, pulling back from Blake and taking her hand. Leading her over to the tree, he was surprised to see that Neo was on the floor and Yang was poking her with a stick.

When they arrived, Yang looked at the two Faunus and poked Neo one more time. "I promise I didn't do this to her! I found her like this!" Despite what she said, Yang poked her again.

Naruto walked forward and squatted down next to Neo. Activating First Spark, he gave the girl a slight jolt in her side. Immediately, Neo jumped up and looked around. "Sorry about that Neo, I forgot how my Aura affects you. I didn't mean to make you pass out when I started talking to Blake." The heterochromatic-haired girl just smiled and waved it off. Standing back up, he looked at his sister. "Blake, this is Neopolitana. Neo, this is Blake Belladonna."

Before anyone could say more, they felt a particularly large Grimm coming closer. The girls readied their respective weapons while Naruto summoned a naginata from Hammerspace. Suddenly, it changed directions and broke out of the treeline just a little ways away from them. It fell to the floor as two other students hopped off of it, sparks dancing along its body. The girl amongst them poked it. "Aww... it's broken!"

"Nora... please never do that again." Seemingly ignoring the male of the duo, Nora rushed off down to the relics. She found a rook that she liked and began singing.

"I'm the Queen of the Castle! I'm the Queen of the Castle!" As she sang, she posed it different ways, the rook never falling to the ground.

"Did... did they just ride an Ursa through the Forest?" Blake wondered as the group wandered closer to the ruins.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Naruto muttered, gaining a look from Blake. He replied but giving her a way-too-innocent grin.

Before she could say anything, things got even more ridiculous; they could hear what seemed to be a girl screaming. Everyone turned to see an armored blonde hanging off the stinger of a Deathstalker's tail, which itself was chasing an armored redhead across the plains on the edge of the Emerald Forest. The redhead was shouting at the boy, Jaune, to just let go. When he complied, he was bodily thrown through the air.

"Did she just get chased all the way here by a Deathstalker?" Blake pondered.

"Can everyone just calm down before something crazy happens?" Yang demanded as her hair lit up like a torch. As if the world sought to ruin the blonde's day, the loud cry of a Greater Nevermore rang out above followed by a girlish cry of her name.

Everyone looked up to see a red and white speck riding hanging on to the bird's talons. Activating All-Seeing Eyes and First Spark, Naruto looked up and recognized the two as Ruby Rose and... _It's that bitch! Let me out so I can slaughter her!_... Weiss Schnee. "They're gonna fall..." Neo muttered.

"Don't say that." Naruto reprimanded. "They might not... oh... never mind." As they spoke, the speck began to fall and became bigger and bigger. As she began falling, the armored blonde crashed into her and they both landed in a tangle of bodies on a branch of the tree they'd been under before. Ruby quickly recovered and made her way down.

"Ruby!" Yang exclaimed worriedly.

"Yang!" Ruby replied happily as she arrived.

"Nora!" The orange-haired, self-proclaimed Queen cried out from in between them before they could embrace.

"Ruby, you dolt! You left me up here all alone!" Weiss shouted out.

"I told you to jump!" Ruby yelled back as Neo looked at Naruto.

"I know, I know, she's going to fall." _I hope it kills her!_ The Fox Faunus ignored Kurama for the moment as the group watched the heiress lose her grip. As she fell, the blonde who was still in the tree saw an opportunity so he jumped and caught her, saying something to her as he did so. _I wonder if he thought this through?_ Yami wondered.

It was made apparent that he had not when they both fell, Weiss somehow landing atop the blonde who Naruto now recognized as Jaune Arc, the last descendant of Julius Arc – one of Vale's war heroes from the Great War. "Great, now that the gang's all here we can die together!" Yang happily exclaimed.

Looking at the Deathstalker and the Greater Nevermore, Naruto wondered why she said that. They were only two Alpha-level Grimm, they weren't even in any danger with how many people were gathered here. "Blake, she's joking right?" The boy asked, getting a look from his sister. "There's only two of them, and ten of us. Why would anyone here die? I could take them on my own." Blake looked at her brother.

"Not everyone goes through what we went through." She explained. "The Clan... they're stronger than most people. Even then, they had to survive in the harsh world of Remnant with what that doctor forced onto them. Even though you've gone on very difficult missions the last two years and survived, not everyone _can_ do that, and even fewer people _have_ done that. Most of these people went to an Academy before this one and that's where their skills come from. Skills, but not experience."

Even though he heard what she said, Naruto didn't think it made much sense. Working the mines, being in that cage and doing missions for the Fang were all he had ever known. He didn't really get this concept of _school_ giving you skills but not sending you on missions. Still, if that's how the world was, maybe he was just odd because of his past?

"Uh, if it's a big problem, should I just take care of them?" He asked Blake, not really sure what to do. After having gone through the Red Coast, two low Alpha-class Pawns were... underwhelming. She looked at him as if he were crazy. "I mean, I'm used to taking out Nests and entire labs belonging to the Schnee, these two wouldn't be that difficult."

Blake was silent a moment, looking at those gathered. Ruby had dashed off while they were talking, but was saved by Weiss. They had talked about retreating. "You aren't actually supposed to be here, since you aren't a student. I think this might be part of the initiation test. Don't worry, I'm sure we can take care of it." Naruto nodded. "We're heading back up to the cliff, I think, so you just sneak back out. Let me see your Scroll." The blonde produced it as she took out her own. After pressing a button, he was given the girl's new contact information, and she had his. "I'll call you soon, I promise. Just stay out of trouble, okay?" Naruto nodded. The ravenette then looked at Neo. "I know we didn't get to talk at all, Neo, but take care of him for me, will you?" The ice cream girl just smiled. "I've got to get going, but... I love you, Naruto." She kissed his forehead before rushing off to rejoin her partner and the rest of the octet.. Without even looking at Neo, he held up the naginata to keep her from attacking Blake after the display of affection.

"Don't worry, Neo." He told her. "Blake is just my sister. Nothing more, nothing less." The girl paused a moment, seemingly still bothered by having watched that. Naruto stored the naginata back in Hammerspace and took her hand in his. "Come on, let's go to Vale. I think we passed by a few good restaurants and I'm getting hungry." Neo smiled and squeezed his hand, following his lead. That's right, he was hers in a way that Blake would never know. Snuggling close to the boy as they walked, they were content. Things were going to get interesting very soon, but they might as well enjoy the peace while they had it.


	14. Chapter XIV

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XIV**

 **[Mountain Glenn]**

Naruto Uzumaki, Captain of the Clan and unofficial Lord of Mountain Glenn found himself sighing as he looked over the mess of files that Shikamaru had left him with. He had asked for whatever they had on the freshman class of Beacon, but didn't realize everything that the Deer Faunus had gathered. Normally, he'd have Yami looking through things like this, but he was busy doing more research into their strange soulscape. As he came to the file on Weiss Schnee, he immediately felt a headache forming. "Please be quiet, Kurama. You can't kill Blake's teammate." Shaking his head in exasperation over all the hatred that that part of him held, he sighed again. When had he started doing that so much?

Actually, hadn't it started when Neo left two days ago? She _did_ still have her own work to do, so he couldn't really be upset. She wasn't part of the clan, she was technically Torchwick's employee. He was Cinder's employee. That meant that when Cinder called, Neo didn't have a choice but to go. The thought dropped as he felt his Scroll vibrating. "Hello?" He answered it, curious as to why someone would call from _that_ number. That was meant for security personnel only.

"Lord Naruto." Ah, it was Haku. "There is a trespasser. We caught him and he didn't resist when we took him to the cells in the old Mountain Glenn prison, but I think you should still come. The man is... rather odd." Telling the rabbit Faunus he'd arrive shortly, Naruto replaced Weiss' file in the manila folder that Shikamaru had sent it in. Leaving the Mountain Glenn Public Library, he made his way through the streets until he arrived at the Mountain Glenn Courthouse.

As he walked in, he noted that Hidan fell into step next to him. "Hello there, Hidan. How'd you know I was coming here?" The white-haired man was quiet a moment before speaking.

"I could feel something... Ancient." The way Hidan spoke the last word made Naruto curious. "You know that I've been alive longer than the very Kingdoms which rule the world, Lord Uzumaki. I've seen empires rise and fall, only to be replaced by other Men who think they're more capable but ultimately suffer the same fate. Of everything I've ever met, there's only a few that are older than I. I know this feeling, this thing that walks just like another Man might, but isn't any kin to them."

As Hidan talked, they continued to walk through the halls, inching ever closer to their destination. "What are you talking about, Hidan? Is there really someone older than you, even with your immortality?" The scythe-wielder nodded once. "How?"

"There is more than one way to achieve immortality, Lord Uzumaki. It comes in many stripes and shades. I simply always revert back to this state, to my normal, healthy self – that's the power of my Status Quo. Other things though... they can do what you'd reserve for the might of Gods. Beings like the Sage and the Lord Grimm, for instance. I wasn't there to witness their battle, but I saw the wreckage that the Earth became upon their contest finishing. The Lord Grimm passed his power on to a newer, more malevolent being. The Sage, he is one of those beings older than me though. With each time he is struck down, his spirit ventures on and takes on the form of another by overriding someone's very soul with his own. For eternity I've seen his legacy on the world, each time he becomes a heroic figure to some, a Devil to others. He always has a different name, but I know who he becomes each time so I can watch out for him, make sure I don't fight something that destructive, that apocalyptic. This time, his name is..." As they opened the last door and came upon the cell, Naruto finished the thought for his acolyte.

"Professor Ozpin." Sitting at a table within one of the interrogation rooms that once belonged to the Mountain Glenn Police Department was the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, sipping his mug of coffee as if he were in his own office. While it wasn't a true cell, it was close enough thanks to various Aura dampening spells, an array of turrets that could pop out of the walls and various other nasty surprises. "I think you might be a little ways away from Beacon..." The blonde commented. Now that he was in the same room as the man, all of Naruto's alarms were going off.

This man... he _felt_ like something powerful, something terrifying, something so cold and immeasurable that it would continue on it's path no matter how many people died in its wake. In a word... he felt like time. Not a man, but a force, a concept, a thing that existed because it did and no reason besides that. "Hello there, Mr. Uzumaki." Ozpin spoke with a mysterious smile. "When I overheard your conversation with Ms. Belladonna over the cameras in the Emerald Forest, I didn't know what to make of it. It is rather amazing what you've managed to turn Mountain Glenn into in such a short time. The Grimm are eradicated, the town is being steadily rebuilt and there are so many people here you'd think that it was a Capital City. I must applaud your skills."

"Your words are kind, but too much." Naruto blinked and blue faded into purple as Yami took over. "We're just a simple family of misfits seeking a home, and we've worked hard to turn this into it. Everyone else abandoned it, but we saw hope in what it could be. There is nothing else to it than that, a little shred of hope for us who have had it torn apart." Professor Ozpin smiled and sipped his mug, nodding.

"Of course, of course. Though it doesn't quite explain everything here. For one, why would you go after the Red Coast if you just wanted a home here in Mountain Glenn?" Yami tried hard not to let his emotions show, but even so he knew that his brow rose infinitesimally, just enough so that Ozpin allowed his smile to grow slightly. "There's that and the enormous Aura I can feel emanating from you, young Mr. Uzumaki. While that in itself wouldn't be enough to be worried, it feels as if you are swirling with the souls of hundreds... no, thousands of different people at the same time. I've only other met one other person who ever had that ability. Well, I've met her many times, but each time under a different guise. It seems the World-Eater walks among us once again."

"You will speak to Lord Uzumaki with respect, Sage!" Hidan commanded, his scythe suddenly pressing against Ozpin's throat. The silver-haired man spared a glance for the immortal acolyte, recognition lighting up in his eyes. "Do not presuppose you know who he is, nor lay a title at his feet like you're one of the Brothers." As if Hidan's action had triggered something, the walls opened to reveal other members of the clan, aiming weapons at Ozpin. Naruto regarded the Headmaster, his acolyte and his followers before signalling them to stand down as purple once more rippled into blue.

"Hidan, it's fine. I don't know who... what you are, Professor Ozpin. Hidan tells me one thing, and I can feel your Aura. I've taken the souls of so many people... I can't help but understand what one's Aura means just by being in the general area. My Semblance, Burden, takes things from other people and thrusts them onto myself whether I want them or not. Injuries travel to my body from just a touch. As for the souls of others... what could weigh more than the memories, the regrets of someone else suddenly thrust onto you?"

"Burden... that's a new one." Ozpin commented. "I think my favorite variation was Ouroborous, it was very symbolic and explained the ability none other were able to. Your Semblance isn't about taking from others, Mr. Uzumaki. It is about _consumption_. Your soul is like that of the world-eating serpent, constantly consuming and growing, coiling around the very planet itself until it can eat existence itself. Injuries, memories, souls, Dust, Grimm, all of these and more can be consumed by your soul. All of these things _will_ be consumed by your soul as you grow stronger. First it is physical things, like damage, spells and Aura. Then you'll start taking more... conceptual meals, such as confidence, fear, willpower. I've seen it hundreds of times."

Hidan looked ready to take off the man's head again, so Naruto took the opportunity to speak. "You're very cryptic, you know that? I'm just a kid, you can't expect me to understand what you're saying." Ozpin looked at the boy a moment before his smile dropped. He looked into Naruto's eyes and when he didn't seem to find what he was looking for, the man frowned.

"You don't remember anything. You're definitely _her_ , but somehow her memories were destroyed... or hidden." Ozpin paused a moment before looking intently at Naruto. "Just who are you, Mr. Uzumaki?" Before Naruto could respond, Hidan grinned wide and stepped forward.

"He is Lord Uzumaki! Our great Lord is the God of All Life on this World! What should surely destroy the very life He cherishes, He instead takes upon Himself so that others may prolong their existence! Just as he taketh away, He may also giveth back, and the ailments of His followers will surely become the ailments of His enemies as His Burden becomes theirs! Rejoice! Rejoice, for our Lord walks among us and shall deliver upon us a fate more splendid than even a thousand lifetimes! He shall provide us with a home so secure and safe that even Atlas will turn green with envy! He shall provide us with an abundance of resources to make the King of Vale wish he'd taken all of Remnant unto his Empire! He shall provide us with so much luxury that even the aristocrats of Mistral will think better of us than even their own capital! He shall provide us with the freedom Vacuo thinks it has and make them wonder if they were truly free! Our Great Lord Uzumaki will provide where others have not! He shall take it upon himself to give others the life he was denied! Rejoice! Rejoice, for Our Lord loves all and will extend his hand to even the lowliest among the beggars or the highest of nobles, and everyone in between whether they be Human or Faunus!"

While Professor Ozpin was usually a calm man, the zealous sermon he was just given certainly threw him for a loop. Glancing at Naruto, he noted the blonde was unfazed. "Don't mind Hidan." Naruto commented. "Something Kurama said when we first met has him convinced I'm a god." The blonde regarded Professor Ozpin seriously just then. "For that matter, I don't know why you're here. I don't know what you planned to accomplish by arriving in my home, or who you were looking for. I certainly don't know what this World-Eater you keep talking about is."

"Kaguya Outsutsuki."

"What?"

"The World-Eater's original name was Kaguya Outsutsuki." Ozpin replied. "Her story is as old as mine, as old as the Queen's. She was granted power by an ancient force, something akin to the Two Brothers in terms of power. All before her was merely fruit to be eaten, and she grew more powerful for every meal. In her life, she ate so much, took so many lives, that she was able to use some of that power when she died to force her power into another at birth and continue her feast. Sometimes she found amusement in playing the hero, saving entire kingdoms from threats that would put the Red Coast to shame. Sometimes she wanted to see what it was like to be a villain, slaughtering thousands and striking fear as a monster that made the Grimm seem like angels. Princes and princesses, hunters and merchants, politicians and soldiers, heroes and villains, the World-Eater didn't care what she was, as long as it was fun. And above all, she _ate_. She ate more than you could possibly comprehend. I don't know who you think you are, or what you think you are, Mr. Uzumaki, but that power you wield is Ancient, it is powerful... and it will destroy whatever you think you can create."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Ozpin. "You will not come into my home and insult my people." He stated as the air became frosty. He wasn't doing anything, it was Haku. He didn't tell her to rein herself in either. "We will not only survive, we will succeed where your Kingdom failed and turn Mountain Glenn into something magnificent." Ozpin smiled at the heat behind Naruto's voice before standing.

"I am glad that you are choosing to be the Hero in this life, no matter how foolhardy it is. Maybe it will be the tipping point against the Queen. If you have any questions about... well, about yourself, my office is always open, Mr. Uzumaki." As he began walking out, Hidan seemed ready to strike him down with his scythe until Naruto held up his hand. Ozpin walked out the door of the interrogation room, leaving Naruto with Hidan and a few others.

"Let him leave. If he wanted to do something, he would have. I could feel the power he had... but he didn't. Hidan, I need you to tell me whatever you can about this... Sage and Queen. Also, if you know anything about the thing he called the World-Eater, I need to know that too." The acolyte didn't even hesitate as he nodded his head. "Haku, trail him and make sure he leaves. Zabuza, Hiramekarai is in my office. Kisame and yourself are going to teach Suigetsu how to use it a little bit early. If that's the power level of the Headmaster, who's supposed to be the good guy, I hate to imagine what this... Lord Grimm has access to. We need to prepare."


	15. Chapter XV

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XV**

 **[The Clan's War Room – Mountain Glenn Courthouse]**

"Is everyone here, Hidan?" Naruto wondered as he met his faithful and fanatic friend just outside the door to the court room they'd turned into a war room. It was the same one that Cinder had shown him the security footage of Ruby Rose in. The acolyte of Lord Uzumaki nodded. "Even Shikamaru? Really?"

"He may be late to many things, but I think he understood just how important this was." Hidan explained. "Or perhaps Temari simple dragged him here against his will." The Lord of Mountain Glenn pictured the blonde dragging her Deer Faunus boyfriend through the streets and couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. Tossing the thought away, he focused on the matter at hand, however, as Hidan opened the door for him and followed him into the room.

Thanks to some creative uses of Architect's Blueprint, Mother's Will and instructions from the two resident engineers amongst the Clan – those being Sasori and Kankuro – the War Room had taken on a different look than when Cinder had visited. No longer was it simply a single table to seat those gathered, but it had more of a council room aesthetic to it now. Rising above the central chamber, seats looked down upon an open area where the door led in. Naruto walked through this central area and made his way to the end of the room, followed by Hidan, until he came to a set of steps that led up to the dais all the seats sat upon. Taking their seats, Naruto looked around at his council with a serious expression.

"I'm glad that we could gather so quickly." He began. "I know that all of you have your own schedules, missions and jobs to take care of, but I feel that this requires the full, undivided attention of the Clan Council. Yesterday, I had a conversation with the Headmaster of Vale's Beacon Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses after he barged into our home. The trespasser weaved a tale for me about a Sage, a Queen and a being known as the World-Eater. His word alone would not have swayed nor convinced me, but Hidan helped me learn the truth. As you are all aware, Hidan's ability of recovery is the primary factor of how he has aged so well, despite the fact that he was born far, far before anyone currently alive existed. Yesterday, he relayed to me that that isn't quite true. There are others, others older than him who aren't quite… human or Faunus. If you would, Hidan."

The acolyte nodded and looked out at the crowd whom his master had drawn in. "Of course, Lord Uzumaki. I have lived two thousand years, give or take a few hundred here or there that I might have lost track of." He explained. "I've seen empires rise and fall, heroes born and die and entire cultures and religions disappear into the aether as others rise to power. I witnessed the rise of Grimm, the fall of humanity and the discovery of Dust that allowed us to fight back. However, the entire time I existed, there were always… _other things_ that existed as well. The most important of them are the Sage and the Lord Grimm, who was succeeded by the Queen.

"I don't know how old they are, I don't know where they came from or why they exist, but I do know a few things. The Sage claims humanity and the Faunus as his people, while the Queen seeks to bring them down with her legion of Grimm, following in the footsteps of her predecessor, the Lord Grimm. They've been locked in a constant struggle for longer than I've been extant, as far as I can tell. The battle between the Sage and the Lord Grimm happened long before I was born, and the aftermath led to his death. The Queen picked up his Crown, sat in his Throne and bore the powers he once wielded down the line, creating the Grimm in the process.

"For millennia, these two fought and I watched as their wars waged. Entire nations were little more than chess pieces to these beings. The players outshining each other in their ruthlessness, their sociopathy and their willingness to do what it took to succeed, even if lives were lost. There's a term in chess that fits what I saw them do only too well, gambit. The Queen played White, the Sage played Black and the world was their board."

"Hold on a moment." Zabuza spoke up from his seat on the Council, thoughts flying through his mind. His eyes showed many feelings. "If the Black Player, the Sage, was on our side, then why are you making it sound like he's just as bad as this Queen?" Shikamaru interrupted before the acolyte could reply.

"Do you know what a gambit is, Zabuza?" The Deer Faunus wondered. When the Swordsman shook his head, he explained. "It's a move in chess where you willingly sacrifice a piece of your own to gain an advantage, no matter how meager, against your opponent. Hidan is saying that this Sage was willing to sacrifice lives of humanity, the people he's supposedly protecting, just to ensure even just potentially miniscule gains over the Queen. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, what's a few thousand lives here and there to a being that over two millennia old?"

"And that is who trespassed on our land yesterday." Naruto explained. "This Sage was here. His power felt… old, powerful and like that of some sort of force, rather than an actual person. I don't know if anyone else in the room had similar intuitions when feeling even just his repressed Aura, but it was terrifying. I'm not sure that even I could take him on." Sighing, the blonde continued. "That's not even the scariest part. The Sage isn't immortal the same way that Hidan is. He is fully killable, if you can get past all that power. However, when he dies his soul – and the Aura that makes him so dangerous – travels to another person. I don't have enough information to know if there are any limitations on that power, but killing him is the worst solution, since he'd just pop up somewhere else. It could be random. It could be defined by the Sage's own will."

"Lord Naruto, what of the World-Eater that the Headmaster referenced before?" Haku pondered from her seat next to Zabuza. "Did you find any truth to his statements?" The blonde nodded his head.

"To those that weren't in the interrogation room when Ozpin was here, I'll clarify. Ozpin recounted a tale of a third entity separate from his or the Queen's ambitions. This being was a woman known as Kaguya Outsutsuki who gained the title of World-Eater. Hidan didn't know much of her, but I'll reveal what we know so far. She had the power to consume. Whatever she consumed made her stronger. According to Ozpin she is at least as old as himself or the Queen. On top of that, she didn't pick a side with either of them. Instead, she did what she wanted. When she died, she had consumed so much, gained so much power that she could traverse the curtain of life and death to simply inhabit new bodies and extend her life that way. Unlike the Sage, who seemed to reside within bodies and required their willingness to allow him to take over, she… simply did.

"He expressed that each life she was different. While she might be a hero one life, she could be a bandit king the next. She could be a prince one life, then a pauper in another. Everything hinged on whatever she thought was most entertaining. And through it all, she ate. She ate everything that she could get her hands on. Physical objects, souls, even mere concepts were like fruit in a basket before the World-Eater. Her powers… they sound very similar to my own. On top of that: Kurama, Yami and myself don't even understand our own soul. It is vast, and there are… aspects of it that make me fear that Ozpin could be right, that I might be the World-Eater. The only issue is that I don't know anything about the things he talked about, I don't have even faint memories of these things. Kurama and Yami don't either. It is… odd, but I'm going to see what I can find out. If I really am this World-Eater, then I have to use that power to protect our family, our home, our Clan."

There was silence a moment before Guren spoke up. "Naruto, I've always known you were powerful. That much, all of us knew. I don't just mean in terms of your ability to kill things. You're a strong fighter, to be sure. You're also a strong leader. You're a strong individual. The Clan only exists as it does because of you. We succeed because you bring us closer. I don't think anyone in this room, or in our city for that matter, would deny you help in figuring out your powers and your past, if you really are the latest successor of this Kaguya. What I want to know though is… what are we going to do?"

Naruto looked at his Council made up of Guren, Kisame, Zabuza, Hidan, Shikamaru, Haku, Sasori and Temari before smiling and standing. "We're going to do what we've always done. We're going to survive. We're going to fight. We're going to win. All of you, we need to prepare for war, the kind of war that the world has never seen before. I don't know who our opponent is quite yet, but we're going to be prepared for anything that's thrown our way. I'm going to be assigning everyone objectives in the coming days. Some of you already have yours." Zabuza and Kisame nodded. "Some of you will be receiving your orders today or tomorrow. Mountain Glenn will be prepared for anything and everything by the time we're finished. In the meantime, there is one more thing that we, as a Clan, must do." At their questioning glances, Naruto relayed his final revelation. "We are going to officially remove ourselves from the White Fang, announce our claim to this city and gain allies. I've been thinking about it for a long time… and I've already spoken to Adam about it. He will do his best to keep his troops away from our territory so long as we are splitting as a neutral party and offer no threat to the Fang. Today, we are our own people, and no longer the Fang's soldiers to be done with as they wish."


	16. Chapter XVI

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XVI**

 **[Mountain Glenn Public Library, Two Weeks Later]**

"I'm glad you could make it. Welcome to Mountain Glenn. I don't know if you've properly met each other. Tazuna here is the mayor of Tidespring. Shizuka is the chosen representative from Spring Valley. Shibuki is the acting chief of Nubis Village. I, of course, am Lord Naruto Uzumaki of Mountain Glenn. To my left here is Guren and to the right is Zabuza, my diplomatic and military advisors. I hope that today's meeting will be beneficial to all of us."

"Just what is this meeting for?" Shizuka wondered. The woman appeared to be in her early twenties and had a ponytail of black hair, a pair of jade eyes and wore a very conservative blouse and skirt, though seemed to be uncomfortable in the attire. If Haku's report was correct, she was a skilled warrior, not a diplomat, and must not like being outside of her battle outfit. If that was so, he was surprised she didn't bring her weapons with her.

"In this case, it is a pre-emptive meeting amongst our current allies and trade partners." Zabuza explained. "Mountain Glenn is going to be going through some... dynamic shifts in the coming days and weeks and we thought it might be prudent to give all of your settlements heads up."

"That sounds risky..." Shibuki commented nervously. "Just what kind of shifts?" He was a little younger than Shizuka, with black hair and bangs that didn't quite reach his onyx-colored eyes. He wore a teal, high-collared, short-sleeved shirt and a pair of grey pants. He just seemed uncomfortable in general. Haku revealed that he was the only son of the village's previous chief, who was killed by the best warrior in an act of revenge due to some village politics that kept him from becoming the new chief. He wasn't really the village chief type, more of an administrator, but due to village laws, he was acting chief until someone qualified revealed themselves.

"Yes, what we plan is risky." Guren replied. "However, it is necessary if our home is to prosper. If you three wish for your homes to take part in that prosperity, you can join us. Or you can leave our agreements and continue as you did before we arrived."

"Just what are you planning, kid?" Tazuna wondered as he took a sip of his ever-present bottle of fireball whiskey. Apparently, he used to drink sake, but it stopped getting him drunk unless he got the really expensive stuff. Haku's spy reports were... very thorough thanks to his mirrors. The man himself was old, older than anyone else in the city – aside from Hidan of course. He had a full head of grey hair, a thick goatee, black eyes behind a pair of slim, silver, oval-rimmed glasses and very tan skin from working outside so much. He was not only the mayor, but also the chief architect of Tidespring.

"We're going to prepare our city in the coming weeks so that we can officially declare Mountain Glenn its own sovereign Free City, separate and independent of the Four Kingdoms. My family, my Clan, we aren't Velian, we aren't Atlesian, we aren't Mistralian and we aren't Vacuon. Because of the thing that ties us together, we're culturally and ethnically different than any other group in Remnant. It doesn't make sense for us to bend a knee to the other Kingdoms when we've got nearly everything we need to be on their level. We may only be a single city-state, but that's all the other Kingdoms really are anyways, no matter what they say on paper."

"You're trying to start a fifth Kingdom..." Shizuka accused. "That's what it is, isn't it? You want to start a fifth Kingdom?" Naruto smiled and met her gaze. "I thought Menagerie would be the fifth Kingdom, but to think it would come from this place instead. How can you be so sure that you won't become the target of a coalition between the other four?" Guren answered this one.

"I'll admit that there was some issue amongst our people with figuring that one out. However, we are content with our odds. We can't take on all four Kingdoms at once. Hell, I don't think we could take even just Vale if they concentrated all their forces on us. The bigger picture paints a very different light though. We don't _have_ to fight any of the Kingdoms, let alone all of them. There's still a lot of tension between the Kingdoms after the Great War. The chances of them working together against a non-threatening settlement of Faunus and humans just trying to get by is nearly non-existent."

"On top of that," Zabuza continued, "Vale is the only real threat in a military problem there is multi-faceted. First off, the current King is not the warrior his grandfather was. He is a coward and would be content so long as his capital city is safe. The noble council beneath him are too busy trying to take his power and gain more land from within the Kingdom that they wouldn't even worry about us. Even if they did, we can either use blackmail or just turn them against each other long enough that they don't become a threat to our safety. All of this is without even taking into account the issues inside Vale from the White Fang and the string of Dust robberies from that thief, Torchwick. They're too distracted to pay attention to a formerly abandoned city being rebuilt. We cleared out the Grimm here when the Huntsmen couldn't. We took the foundation that was left and the supplies from the old military base here and have made this our home. As they say, it's easier to fight off the wind than to shoot down a mountain. We have every defensive advantage here if they _do_ decide to attack. I'm sure you saw our artillery and walls as you walked in, right? Anything large enough for us to see, we'll bombard. If its a small enough force that they can sneak in, our numbers will eradicate them."

"You've really thought this through, it seems." Tazuna commented. Even if most saw him as an old drunkard, he _was_ an architect. If they were preparing their defenses this early, he was sure that they could find benefit. "I'm willing to have my town lend a hand in helping Mountain Glenn out if it means our continued protection against the Tribals and Grimm. If you're going to declare yourself a proper Kingdom though, I'm sure that our contracts will need to be updated. Vale did a piss poor job at being a proper liege lord, but from what I've seen you lot take that job seriously. I'm in, and I'm sure Tidespring will be too when I bring this up in the next Town Hall meeting." Naruto nodded, smiling at the man's continued support. He then looked at Shizuka and Shibuki.

"I'm not a diplomat, even if I am supposed to inherit Spring Valley some day." Shizuka began. "I'm a warrior first and foremost. I may not understand the political intricacies between the Kingdoms, but I do know that a Kingdom this close to Spring Valley means safety. Yeah, that safety comes at the cost of taxes and levies, but it's still safety that Vale hasn't been able to offer my family or my settlement in years. I'm going to do my best to get them on board, and when my mother says yes, I hope you're ready for the recruitment lines in the Mountain Glenn military to increase. You're going to need a right and proper army to keep my people – and yours, of course – safe. I think you'll be surprised how many of us in the Valley are ready to fight."

The last member of the meeting, Shibuki, looked around and swallowed before seeming to resolve himself. "I'm not strong like Shizuka here, or talented like Tazuna." He confessed. "Even so, I do love my village, however small we are. My grandfather founded it on the frontier shortly after the War stopped, a War he fought tooth and nail to survive in. My own father was a warrior as well, the very best in the village. His ability to protect us is what secured his appointment, even if my grandfather and the others on the council claimed it was simply because he was the next in line. That's what secured my position, the words of the first council taken to their logical conclusion. I can't fight in any sort of military that you begin, but my village still needs protection. If you'll offer the same services you have been so far, then Nubis will become official vassals, just as the other two villages are. Our best left with my father's murderer... and I fear that your protection is the only thing keeping them from coming back. I will still do what I can to repay you for what you're doing though, if I can."

"It seems that our competency speaks for itself." Yami stated with a smirk of satisfaction before Naruto took over once again. "I'm glad that we can continue our relations. Our small Kingdom may be nothing more than a simple county right now, but I'd like to see all of us prosper together. Guren is going to send diplomats out to other settlements that Vale isn't doing a very good job at protecting, so we may see our realm grown. We've also got some people in Vacuo, Mistral and Atlas attempting to secure relations and hopefully even a defensive pact to keep Vale from trying anything. The King surely doesn't want a Second Great War. I'd also like to ask each of you to send an emissary here so that we can ensure that we are moving forward in the same direction, and I'll be doing the same by sending one of my people to each of your settlements. Until we have a proper military, they will be all I can spare for immediate protection, though we will continue our regular patrols. I'll also have my people draw up new trade agreements and proper treaties of vassalage so that everyone understands what is expected of them."

"Heh, kid, anyone ever tell you that you grew up too fast?" Tazuna wondered as he took another drink. Naruto's mind went to Blake and Adam, causing him to smile sadly.

"Yeah, my older siblings say that all the time. I have a family to look after though. My Clan are my responsibility and I'm going to make sure that nothing gets in the way of their continued happiness and security. And now... consider your villages part of that family."


	17. Chapter XVII

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XVII**

"Hmm..." Salem hummed in thought with a cross of something like curiosity and amusement. While Cinder was no longer seated at her table, another member of her Coven was. His Scorpion tail twitched as she did so and eyes full of mad devotion looked at her.

"What is it, my Queen?" He inquired, wondering if he'd need to kill something for her. He did enjoy when he was sent out to kill things for her. Just the thought had him flexing his tail in anticipation.

"I've been keeping an eye on young Naruto for a while and he certainly has been entertaining, that's for sure." Tyrian patiently waited for her to continue as she gathered her thoughts. "It seems that he's cut himself off from the White Fang and is planning on declaring his city independent of Vale, despite it belonging to their territory. It's been interesting keeping my eyes on every moving piece he's sent out in an effort for preparation."

"Isn't that the kid you think is the World-Eater?" Tyrian wondered, getting an affirmative nod from the Queen. "Is he powerful enough to take on the entire Velian military force, if he needs to?" Salem shook her head.

"He doesn't seem to recall any of Kaguya's memories, which is odd. Still, he won't need to fight Vale's military on his own. He's got hundreds of other genetically modified Faunus on his side with nearly a decade of experience in the Fang each. On top of that, he's playing this smart. I haven't seen this tactic used successfully since Menelik..."

Tyrian tried to place that name, but it seemed absolutely foreign to him. "You probably wouldn't have heard of him. He was from a time far before even Dust or Aura was accessible to humanity. His nation was at risk of being consumed by several different empires, so he sent envoys to each of them. His diplomats convinced each of the rulers that they just needed a few weapons to protect themselves from their enemies, but were loyal to them. This way, he was able to go from a primitive kingdom, to a fully modernized military force and fight off any foreign invasions.

"Young Naruto seems to be doing something very similar. He has sent his envoys to the Council of Atlas, to the Tribes of Vacuo and to the Oligarchs of Mistral. Instead of using deception though, he's leveraging the poor diplomatic relations between the kingdoms. Weapons from Atlas, food, water and other resources from Mistral and mercenaries from Vacuo were promised to his diplomats to help in his independence, should Vale attack. The locals will provide no help to Vale either, given they've sworn loyalty and vassalage to Mountain Glenn, breaking their ties with Vale, though that hasn't been an official vow yet. All in all... it should be interesting to see what happens." Salem paused a moment and looked at her faithful soldier before smiling. "I want you to go to Mountain Glenn and offer your services. This poses an opportunity to introduce ourselves to him and take out some of Vale's military might all at once."

Tyrian grinned and nodded. Standing, he bowed to his Queen shortly before leaving out the doors, ready to work. How he loved killing for his Queen. It was his greatest joy in life.

 **[Mountain Glenn]**

Naruto found himself whistling lowly at the cache of weapons that Atlas had seen to provide his city with. Zabuza had gathered several members of the Clan and was going through them while Shikamaru, Temari, Guren and Haku were taking inventory of everything they'd gained. "I don't know what you told Atlas, Haku, but you did a great job." Haku smiled to the Lord of Mountain Glenn as he finished up a particular page of item counts. "I hope this is enough to arm our friends from Vacuo. What do you think, Temari?" The blonde nodded.

"Officially they're _mercenaries_ but I could tell that they're actually Vacuon troops. They had this look about them. Still, I think we'll have more than enough to arm them. There's only about two hundred of them, but they seem to be quality soldiers with at least _some_ control over their Aura. You're certain we'll be able to do this?"

"Of course we can!" Hidan piped in confidently upon entering the warehouse that all of their things had been transported to thanks to Haku's Semblance. "There is no doubt that we will win, with Lord Uzumaki on our side! Not only that, each and every member of the Clan is enhanced above normal humans and Faunus. That Dr. Orochimaru may have done terrible things to all of you, but you've come out stronger for it. Your experience with the Fang has given you discipline and intuition akin to what one might expect of a wartime veteran. What has Vale done in the last few decades since their Hero-King's passing? They've grown lax. They've stopped drilling what little standing army they have. They'll probably have to call up a levy just to get troops and those will be nothing more than farmers and maybe some town guard. To top it all off, the Academy and the Huntsmen aren't even a part of the King's men, they're Ozpin's. Even if they have numbers, we have better troops. We have a defensive position. We have heavy artillery! Hell, we have a small air force we can leverage if necessary,. Lord Uzumaki can even make sure that none of you die while they'll be taking casualties with each shell we launch. We can and will win. I have no doubt in my mind."

"Thank you, Hidan." Naruto remarked after his loyal acolyte's small speech. The others seemed to become a little more confident after his words, which made Naruto happy. "As he said, we have everything we need to win now. The Kingdoms not only agreed to not interfere, they're helping us gain independence. Sure, they're just trying to weaken Vale, but it's the action, not the intent I care about. We're going to come out of this on top. As soon as Tazuna finishes his work on our defenses and the evacuation of our vassals into Mountain Glenn is finished, then we'll make our formal declaration to the King."

"Well, this starting to sound like high treason to me. We leave for a few short weeks and you're spouting revolutionary ideals? I knew I liked you, kid!" As the familiar voice rang through the warehouse, the group once more looked at the door. "Oooh... I see someone got some toys from the best Kingdom. How'd you manage to get those eskimos to part with so much tech?"

"Oh, that's what I came here for. Lord Uzumaki, Torchwick, Lady Neo and Cinder are here. Also, someone else I don't know but he expressly refused to talk to me and Cinder said he would only talk to you." Naruto thanked Hidan, but noticed only Roman had actually entered the warehouse.

"Don't take any of my stuff unless you're volunteering for the war effort, Torchwick." The ginger stopped just before he was about to pick up a particularly powerful looking anti-personnel rocket launcher. "I like you and all, but I know you have sticky fingers, so Hidan would you keep an eye on him?" The scythe wielder grinned, looking at the master thief.

"You're no fun, Uzumaki. Well, while I might not be a soldier, I am pretty good at taking advantage of the situation. Plus, Cinder has some things to talk to you about, so I might get dragged in to your fight anyways." With that in mind, the man picked it up, inspecting it. Naruto sighed and shook his head, wondering if the man would be an asset. Then again, if he could direct his greed, that could be useful.

Walking out the doors, Naruto was _immediately_ forced to retain his balance as his girlfriend glomped into him, holding him tight and whispering in his ear. "I missed you, Naru~." Cinder coughed into her hand, getting the attention of both of them, which only served the ever-possessive Neo to squeeze him tighter and stick her tongue out at her boss' boss. "Don't mind her... she's just been grumpy all day."

Glaring at the ice cream themed girl, Cinder sighed. "Naruto, if you would mind keeping your... pet in check, I would like a word with you." Neo let go of the blonde, grabbing her parasol and stepping closer to the woman. At a touch from Naruto, all of her anger immediately dissipated and she looked at him curiously.

"Don't talk down to Neo like that, Cinder." He told her plainly. "I've learned a lot of things since you were last here. You work for the Queen, right?" The ravenette seemed surprised that the blonde used that title. "The Queen, the Sage and the World-Eater... I learned about these beings from Ozpin and Hidan. Hidan also told me some things about a group known as the Maidens, does that ring a bell?"

The woman growled as a reddish-orange aura surrounded her eyes and a ball of fire materialized in her hand. "You insufferable little brat..."

"Now, Torchwick said you had something you wanted to discuss, Cinder?" Naruto wondered as his eyes flashed purple for only a moment. They were cerulean again so quickly, that it was difficult to tell if it had happened. "Based on what he said, I imagine that the Queen took an interest in my fight? Or maybe you took an interest in it?"

"You're too smart for your own good." Cinder stated. Her tone told everyone she was barely restraining herself from attacking him. "Yes, Salem made it clear that she wanted Mountain Glenn to become independent, especially since you cut your ties with the White Fang. So, Ozpin was here then? What did he want?"

Naruto shrugged. "He mostly wanted to tell me some things about himself, the Queen and the World-Eater. I was pretty angry at him in the beginning, you know. He came in and spoke as if he knew everything about me and my people, talked about how everything we were building would be destroyed by my own hands. Then, I realized something. Everyone has thought that very thing about my Clan. We're going to prove him wrong by breaking off from Vale and ensuring our lands prosper. So, are you joining us in the inevitable fight, or are you just a messenger?" Cinder seemed to be mulling over throwing that fireball at him.

"No, I'm here to help. Emerald and Mercury will be arriving in a few days, I have them on a mission right now. Tyrian here is also here to aid in the coming battle. Tyrian, this is Naruto Uzumaki the Lord of Mountain Glenn. Naruto, this is Tyrian, the Queen's personal assassin. He's a bit like... Hidan, except not immortal." Naruto looked at the scorpion-tailed man and wondered if that was a good or bad thing. His thoughts were shaken as he felt Neo wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, squeezing close to him.

"You're finally going to become King... It's everything you deserve, Naru~." The blonde smiled as the girl whispered in his ear, though he couldn't help the blush as he felt her chest press into his back. "I knew that you would be great... I'll be your Queen through it all, Naru~." He nodded even as Cinder left into the warehouse, leaving the lovebirds alone. Tyrian also disappeared somewhere, but Naruto didn't really care that much about anything but Neo at that moment. This feeling of affection, of someone wanting to be close to you and returning the emotion... it was the best thing in the world to him.

"Thank you, Neo. I appreciate it. I promise not to disappoint you." Neo's eyes filled with a strange kind of amusement as she held him closer.

"Silly Naruto, you never could do that. You're perfect... and nothing would change that."


	18. Chapter XVIII

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XVIII**

 **[Mountain Glenn]**

"Haku sent me your message. You had something to report, Kidomaru?" Naruto wondered as he arrived at one of the watchtowers that were set up around Mountain Glenn. Tazuna had put in a lot of work the last few weeks and it was really coming together nicely.

He received a nod from the teen. Kidomaru was like Kisame and Anko, a full human before Dr. Orochimaru got his hands on – and in – them. Kidomaru's experimentation had been with spiders instead of sharks or snakes, and ended up with him having six arms and the ability to create a golden silk-like material from his orifices that was nearly impossible to cut through and highly flammable. "Yes, Lord Naruto. I wasn't sure what it was at first, but I can confirm with certainty now. There is a camp of roughly 800 soldiers in the forest just a mile away. After one of my scouts eavesdropped, I found out that it is the King of Vale's own forces and they will be reinforced shortly by several other levies belonging to the nobles who are joining him. He received your official declaration of independence and wasn't very happy with it, apparently."

The blonde nodded. "Thank you, Kidomaru. Tell Tayuya, Jirobo, Sakon and Ukon to keep an extra close eye on the forests and I want all five of you to keep me informed of anything that happens. It's time to make our preparations. They won't take our home from us if I've got anything to say about it." The spider-like boy nodded began speaking into a headset he wore tuned into a radio channel his five 'gate guards' used exclusively to inform them. As he did so, Naruto turned away and headed out the watchtower, finding himself atop the stone wall that surrounded Mountain Glenn. Looking in the general direction that he was told the forces were, he held up his thumb and forefinger in a gun-like shape, pointing it. "It would be so easy..."

"What would be easy, Lord Uzumaki?" Naruto waited a moment before putting his hand down and turning to see Hidan. "Is there something over there?" The zealot wondered as he looked at the forest where Naruto had been staring at a moment before.

"Hidan, a camp of Velian forces is camping somewhere a mile in that direction." The violet hue in his eyes told the priest that he spoke to Yami. "I want you to harass them. Any time a small group leaves the main camp, kill them. Bring your cultists from the nearby villages with you. Cover the forest with traps that will make them think twice before they come any closer. Take whatever you might need from the armory: wires, switches, explosives, whatever you need." Hidan looked at his master a moment before a wide grin nearly split his face in two. He nodded and was about to take off when Naruto added one more thing. "Bring Tyrian with you. This is right up his alley and I think the two of you could work well together." With that, Naruto continued walking along the wall while Hidan jumped down to gather what he needed. Once again, he was in control as purple gave way to cerulean.

Coming across the first of many platforms set into the wall that he had had prepared for this very occasion, Naruto activated Hammerspace and dropped one of Mountain Glenn's artillery pieces atop; performing a cursory inspection of it, he seemed content and continued along the wall. The walls around Mountain Glenn were arranged in a hexagonal formation, and these platforms were at each corner so that their six pieces of heavy artillery could be properly utilized.

It took some time, but he had all six set up. The sedate pace he kept allowed him time to think over what would need to be done. There was so much they'd need to set up, but he was confident it could be done by the day's end. Their counter offensive would definitely be prepared when the time came for it. Eight hundred was far too much for a scouting party, which meant that the King's men were gearing up for an all-out assault. Luckily for him, he had people that would be more than suited to destroy any of the King's plans; he was only using levies, with very few professional soldiers, after all. The King was underestimating his people.

Looking at the ground from his high vantage, Naruto tried going through the sequence of orders he'd need to give for this to be done in the most efficient way before he jumped to the floor, allowing his massive Aura to absorb the impact and cushion his fall.

"There you are... Naruto..." Hearing the strained voice, the blonde looked in the direction it came from to see Neo sitting beneath an awning and staying out of the sun. That explains why he couldn't see her from up high. "What's wrong? You look... stressed." Naruto smiled to her before walking over. As soon as he was close enough, she grabbed his collar and pulled him close, kissing his lips. "Tell me... what's on your mind."

Naruto tried to gather his thoughts even as his head still swam from his girlfriend's show of affection. He still wasn't quite used to it, even this far in. "Kidomaru spotted a group of Vale's forces camping outside the city." Neo's eyes shone dangerously as she stood up, grabbing her umbrella. Naruto grabbed her empty hand to keep her from trying to single-handedly kill all eight hundred men, as he knew she would attempt. "Don't, Neo. I've got it covered. I've already sent Hidan and Tyrian, as well as the various cultists Hidan has inducted over the last few months, to harass them. They're waiting for reinforcements, so we've got time to prepare our defenses. I already set up the artillery, but I was heading out to give orders so that everything will be ready by tonight."

Neo seemed to be caught between still heading out to protect what her lover had made, and following his directions. After a moment, she let her parasol fall to her side and nodded. "You're the King... I'll do it your way." She finally conceded, looking at him. "Don't leave me out... of your plans though. I want to help you... see your dream come true." She pressed her point, giving him a hard look. The blonde nodded, squeezing her hand a bit. She smiled and let go of his hand, wrapping her now free arm around him and resting her head on his shoulder. "Lead the way, my King." She purred into his ear, causing his to erupt into a blush, though he did so after wrapping his own arm around her. Even with the threat of invasion, he couldn't help but want to be near her when she showed him all this affection.

 **[Beacon Academy, Clock Tower, Headmaster's Office]**

As Headmaster Ozpin once again leafed through the report he had received from the Royal Chancellor, he was very close to, for the first time in a long time, breaking his mask of calm and serenity. "What does it say, Professor?" One of the other occupants of the office wondered. Kurenai Yuhi, who was Professor Bartholomew Oobleck's temporary replacement as he studied the remains of the Red Coast, was that speaker. She was a young woman in her twenties with deep, black hair, a pair of shining, red eyes and unblemished ivory skin. Her hair flowed down her back and over the red and white dress she wore, which seemed more like long strips of cloth were wrapped around her body in a very particular way. To finish off her attire, she wore black tights that stretched up her dress and a pair of heeled boots. She was joined by Glynda and Peter to finish off the small council he'd called after reading through it the first time.

"It seems as if young Mr. Uzumaki has gone and done the last thing I expected him to. I'm not sure what had possessed me to attempt and predict what _she_ might do, given each life is so drastically different. Still, I had not expected this." He began reading from the letter at this point. "To the Wise and Just King Alexander of Vale, Grandson to the Venerable and Heroic King Augustus: The Grand City of Mountain Glenn, once abandoned by Vale to the scourge of Grimm, has been resettled by members of the Clan, led by our Lord Naruto Uzumaki. For the last several months we've eradicated the Creatures here, repaired the failing infrastructure and performed your duties of protection towards the local villages. No member of your forces has dared even venture into the Frontier and met us. We take this to mean that you don't care what happens with the area. For that reason, under the guidance of the Lords Naruto, Yami and Kurama of House Uzumaki, His Most Esteemed Council and the Will of Mountain Glenn's Citizenry, we have sent you a formal declaration of our intent to become independent of the Kingdom of Vale and whatever protection it may have offered before, whether stated directly or insinuated. We readily await your response to this letter and shall be waiting to reply in kind, regardless of if it involves diplomats or soldiers. The Clan stands ready.' It is then signed by several people, including Naruto himself."

"He... that is... the boy... is he seriously challenging the King and thinking he can _win_?" Glynda stuttered out, unsure how to respond to such a blatant and forward message. Peter was quiet a moment before he piped in as well.

"If what you have told us is true, Professor... I'm not sure who would win. Surely the King and his nobles will have numbers, but it's been several decades since our Kingdom had a standing army. The majority of his forces will likely be mercenaries and levies from different settlements. This... Clan, as they call themselves are former White Fang and genetically enhanced by the Mad Scientist, Dr. Yamato Orochimaru."

"What... exactly is this kid, who thinks he could challenge a Kingdom without consequences?" Kurenai had to wonder.

"Someone who has checked all the correct boxes." Ozpin informed them somberly. "I've been informed by agents in the other Kingdoms that he had contacted forces within Atlas, Mistral and Vacuo prior to drafting this writ." Setting the letter down, he sighed. "He's been... gifted several boons to use during his fight for independence by the other Kingdoms. Even if its only one city and the surrounding villages, just one county, it does undermine the authority and power of our Kingdom."

"Are you going to send anyone to intervene, then?" Glynda felt the question had to be posed. If Ozpin _did_ wish to sent a team or two to help Vale, then none of them would fault him. While usually it would be disapproved of, a threat like the World-Eater was a special exception.

The Headmaster paused a moment before shaking his head. "We will not intervene. This isn't actually a threat to our primary mission, the Queen. If we allow it to run its course, we can use it as leverage to gain some favor with the boy. As much of a potential thorn in our side young Uzumaki might be, he is also a potential thorn in _her_ side. We need to ensure that even if he doesn't side with our cause, he doesn't side with hers. That boy... might just be the edge one of us needs to tip the scales permanently. We can't _afford_ to turn him against us. I'm sure that the Queen realizes the same thing, if she knows of his existence. We can't exactly send someone to help him publicly, that would cause all sorts of mess with the nobility." Glancing at the letter one more time, he took a sip of his mug. "I'll need to send out a courier to give him a gift, something to ease tensions. Glynda, get me Team BARD. I think they can handle this matter for us. If they happen to get caught in the middle of a fight... I'm sure they'll respect the mission parameters enough to know who to side with."

Glynda pursed her lips but nodded, leaving the office to make the necessary calls. Peter and Kurenai shared a glance, then looked back at Ozpin, who assured them they could leave unless they had any questions. Soon thereafter, he was once again alone in his office. Picking up the letter, Mountain Glenn's short Declaration of Independence, he read it over again. "You are certainly turning out to be unpredictable, Mr. Uzumaki. That could be useful if I can tame the chaos and channel it in the correct direction. I just hope you don't make the wrong decision and doom us all." Sipping on his mug, he sighed. How he despised unpredictable outcomes. He would be glad when this entire matter was behind him and the Throne was once again empty. For now though, he needed to deal with the Queen and ensure the Grimm didn't win. Then, perhaps, he could rest.


	19. Chapter XIX

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XIX**

"It looks as if everyone is gathered, so let us begin." Yami spoke calmly as he looked around the War Room. "Velian forces have continued to gather outside of our walls, but have yet to begin their attack. Hidan, how does the skirmishing go?" The blonde directed his attention to where Naruto's acolyte sat, with a sadistic grin.

"Everything is going well, Lord Uzumaki." Hidan mentioned. "The men and women of the Holy Church of the Healer have taken up arms in our Crusade, just as you ordered. Any time a small group is separated from the group for any reason, we take them out. Traps have been set up outside the walls and have claimed the lives of dozens of men, while making dozens more unable to walk again, let alone fight. The nobles are finding it more difficult to rally their troops every day."

Yami nodded and turned his attention to Sasori this time. "And what of your project, Sasori? Have Kankurou and you managed to make much progress?" The redheaded man nodded his head and seemed to gather his thoughts before speaking.

"Our six Bullheads have been joined by a force of two Streamers and three Nightwinds thus far. All that remains is repairing what we can of the Heron and then we'll have restored what we can. After that, we'll have to do quite a bit more work before any additional aircraft will be added to our arsenal." Yami thought over this for a time.

"Finish up the Heron as quickly as you can and then both of you will aid Tazuna in the defensive fortifications. Speaking of which, how are the emplacements going? I know that the wall was complete before our Declaration of Independence was sent, but what else has been done, Tazuna?"

The man drank from his ever-present bottle of whiskey before responding. "Those artillery of yours helped me from having to do anything in terms of bombardment, so I moved right past that. As I'm sure you noticed when you moved through the wall to place them, there are several towers up and as of now I'm putting all of my efforts into further fortifying the walls against anything they might decide to throw at them. That Dust Mine of yours is really helping in powering all of my equipment; I'm really glad that you got that up and running."

"Of course, Tazuna. It was only natural that we use everything at our disposal. The less we need to rely on outside sources, the better it is for all of us. Sakon, what about the Guardians? Have any of you seen anything that needs to be brought forth?"

Sakon shook his head. "Fortunately, there seems to be little change in the formation of troops. Each of the Noble Court seems to have taken their own troops and gathered in different places around our walls instead of converging in a single area. It seems that everyone is going to try and take the city individually, vying for their own glory and prestige, if our assumption is correct. There are many soldiers and we are vastly outnumbered, but I do not doubt our ability to win so long as they remain so divided. We are ready to man the artillery at your command."

Yami looked around at the War Council one last time before his purple eyes bled a deep cerulean and Naruto took control once more. Back in control, he let a smile form on his lips as he looked at his loyal council, and knew they represented his loyal followers, his family. "We will not be defeated by such a disorganized, disjointed and disunified force. If they will not lead an assault… we will take first blood."

As Naruto spoke, a light blue and reflective rectangular surface formed in the center of the room. Everyone watched as Haku stepped out of it, bowing her head to their leader. "Lord Naruto, I have come with news. One of the nobles is leading his forces for an assault on the walls on the southeastern gate. There is also a team of Huntsmen who claim to have been sent by Headmaster Ozpin that are requesting entrance. They are located in the north, and have somehow managed to elude sight of not only Vale's armies, but also Hidan's fellowship. What are your orders?"

Naruto thought a moment about the information before resolving himself. "Sakon, I want you to lead the rest of the Guardians, the Vacuo mercenaries and Guren in defensive efforts on the wall. Don't meet them out in the field if you can help it. Whatever ranged attacks you can use, trim down their forces as much as you can. If you can possibly take out the noble leading them, do so. Hidan, I want your Church and Tyrian to distract the others to ensure that they don't reinforce the approaching army. Haku, locate Cinder, Roman, Mercury and Emerald and let them know I need them at the southeastern battle, but do not allow them to find out about the Team of Huntsmen. I will deal with them directly. Zabuza, Neo and Kimimaro will go with me. Everyone else, continue as you were before the meeting. We will not allow these nobles without any war experience to defeat us here, or anywhere."

"Of course, Lord Uzumaki!"

 **[Southeastern Gate]**

Tayuya looked over her section of the wall with a devious smirk. Those idiots thought they could assault _her_ gate, did they? "I think it's time to show Vale why I'm one of the Guardians." Pulling her silver flute from its place on her belt, Tayuya blew into its mouthpiece and moved her fingers. The tune was slow, it was drab, it caused the very atmosphere itself to darken in a very literal sense as what were once white clouds darkened considerably, becoming a monsoon over the oncoming forces.

Some of the troops seemed to slow until the leader amongst them yelled something, which caused the group to move as one once more. Tayuya continued playing her tune though as the air began to… vibrate. Her tempo picked up pace and the volume of her music became louder. Even as she played, an ethereal form of an ogre materialized to her side with a large, wooden cello. Dragging its bow across the strings fluidly, the beast played with a deftness that its large size implied it should not be able to. A second ogre formed to her other side who bore a viola, adding its music to the atmosphere. One the side of those two, a pair of more ogres appeared, each one with a violin in hand.

The quintet played and the storm worsened, localized entirely over the approaching army. Suddenly, the cello began to speed up its dark tune until the ogre violently drew his bow against the side. With each draw, a bolt of lightning struck the ground, sending whoever it struck flying.

The viola and violins kept the same pace with each other, and the wind seemed to pick up in time to their actions. It became so violent that the weaker men amongst the group would lose their balance and fall. When they attempted to rise, it would only end in their falling once more.

As Tayuya played her flute, leading her ensemble in their musical assault, the wind managed to drop her cap to the wall. Two horns could be seen protruding from where the cap once lay. Both appeared to have been cut due to the fact that they were wide at the base, and then flattened out only a meager four inches off of her scalp. Looking down at her opponents as if they were the mad doctor who had done that to her, she played a particularly high note that transitioned her into a new piece of music. That's when the grapefruit-sized hail began to fall.

 **[Northern Wall]**

The group of Huntsmen that Haku spoke of was gathered outside the northern wall, just as he relayed. The figure that seemed to be the leader had brown hair styled in tall spikes, swept back and a pair of teal eyes. His skin was a pale ivory while his face was chiseled and well-defined. This matched the rest of his muscular body. He wore a dark blue vest over his body, presumably made of some sort of protective material, and had a long sleeve covering his right arm, while his left was completely bare. He also wore a pair of similarly colored pants, with a few pouches strapped to them. He didn't seem to be carrying any weapons aside from a pair of particularly heavy gauntlets on his fists.

Next to him stood a rather round man. His face was very pudgy and his entire body was definitely well-fed. Over his head, he wore a red bandana that bore a symbol of two rocks balancing on a scale. His black hair came out from under the red cloth, swept back and to his shoulders. This man's black eyes seemed to be filled with that sort of stereotypical, jovial attitude one expects from rotund men. Hanging from his belt was what appeared to be a rather large-headed mace.

On the leader's other side was a younger man with blonde hair in a high ponytail, with his bangs covering his right eye and the other eye, a deep blue. He wore a teal robe around his body, with white edging that hid whatever he had underneath it, including whether or not he had any weapons at all.

Lastly, behind the leader was a girl with black hair, pink eyes and who appeared to be the same age as the blonde. She wore a similar outfit to the leader, except it was a red sleeve and a brown vest. Strapped across her back in an X-formation were a pair of guandao.

The quartet turned their attention to the wall as it opened up, revealing another quartet. Naruto led them, with Neo, Zabuza and Kimimaro following behind him. "Welcome to Mountain Glenn. I am Lord Naruto Uzumaki, leader and protector of this place." As he spoke, the hole closed up behind him, as if it had never been there. "Headmaster Ozpin has sent a team of his Huntsmen here, has he? I do hope he has only good intentions."

The leader regarded the boy a moment before nodding. "I am Gari Bakuhatsu, Leader of Team BARD. Joined by me are my cousin Deidara Bakuhatsu and other two are siblings and grandchildren of the Vacuoan Chief of the Ryoutenbin tribe, Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi Ryoutenbin. Headmaster Ozpin gave us a mission to deliver something to your village. However, I have to ask, what is going on? It seems like there are several large parties assaulting this place, based on Aura signatures. Not to mention, I thought this place was abandoned a long time ago?"

"My people and I have cleared out the Grimm here, resettled the area and rebuilt Mountain Glenn from the ground up. This was all done without the patrols of Vale ever noticing a thing, despite the fact we were also aiding the nearby settlements in survival, protecting them from the very Grimm the Velian nobles were responsible for. The parties you sense are the King of Vale and his nobles attempting to subjugate us to his authority, despite the fact that we are surviving just fine on our own. I am unsure why he sent you here, as I'm sure that he knew what was going on, but you may complete your mission if you so choose. If you hinder us, however…" Naruto's eyes turned red momentarily, before receding back to their normal color. "I will not hesitate to use whatever force is necessary to keep my family protected."

Gari looked at the teen a moment before eyeing his guard. Something seemed to spark in his teal orbs upon making eye contact with Zabuza before he nodded and turned to his team. After a few moments of discussion, he turned back to Naruto. "Not only will we not hinder you, I think we'd like to offer our services to you. If the Headmaster sent us here with the knowledge of this, I'm sure there was a reason. And if you managed to get the Demon of the Bloody Mist on your side, I'm sure that you've got something going for you. Isn't that right, old friend?"

Zabuza just gave Gari a look that made it obvious he was grinning beneath his bandages.


	20. Chapter XX

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XX**

"Took you faggots long enough, don't you think?" Tayuya scolded her fellow Guardians. Despite her strong start against the encroaching force, her performance had rapidly degenerated since her Aura dropped far faster the more oni she summoned. Pushing for a quintet right off the bat when she had already been manning her station the last eighteen hours probably wasn't the wisest course of action.

"A lady shouldn't speak so coarsely, Tayuya." Jirobo chastised the redhead. She glared at him, but didn't say anything. Looking over the wall, the teen frowned. There were some injured and dead, but the force still seemed to be going strong thanks to the general keeping their morale high. "Kidoumaru, what do you think?" The multi-armed Guardian looked over the field before smirking.

"Something of that difficulty is far too easy for me. You've gotta give me a harder level, Jiroubo." He mentioned as he pulled a bow off of his back. Infusing his saliva with Aura, he spat out a glob of some golden, silky substance. Two of his hands molded it into what looked like an arrow as a third one sprinkled some sort of Dust onto its head while a fourth sprinkled another type on its rear end. The front sparkled a dangerous looking orange while the back shone a distinct silver. Notching the arrow into his bow, two hands held the bow while the other three pulled back the string. "Game over, Player 2. This round belongs to Mountain Glenn." Upon release, the back end shone a bright, and nearly translucent, shade of silver as the Wind Dust pushed it to speeds that broke the sound barrier. The noble didn't see it coming, and the surrounding men didn't expect the sudden, and very large, explosion that came with the impact of the arrow into their leader's chest. The noble, his horse, and a dozen armored retainers were subject to the blast radius and either incinerated or dismembered within a moment. The peasants who were lucky enough to not be hit by the blowback of the explosion quickly ran away from the field of battle. Those who were still on the ground got to their feet if they could and followed their fellow countrymen. Those who couldn't…

"Cowards, the lot of them." Guren scoffed as any injured and dead still lying on the field were soon coated in crystal, before the coffins she made imploded and turned former enemies into a later profit after their remains were collected. "I'm not sure why Lord Naruto sent all of us to this wall."

"He wanted us to backup Tayuya, primarily, and to spread out along the walls as a better defense." Sakon pointed out, having deduced their leader's intentions. "Get some rest, Tayuya. You need it more than we do. If anything comes up that we need you for, we'll wake you." The redhead nodded and grabbed her cap, placing it back on her head before going back into her tower, which doubled as a temporary room for her to rest in if needed. Jirobo, Kidomaru, go back to your posts. Guren, you stay here and take over for Tayuya. I'll head back to my own wall. With the Church harassing the armies, we should have some time before another assault. Cinder, Emerald, Mercury and Roman, go to each of the towers aside from my own. Sasori should be at Kimimaro's station already. Baki, I'd like you to come with me."

Sakon spoke to a man who appeared to be in his thirties with a veil covering half of his face vertically, who nodded. This was the leader of the Vacuoan 'mercenaries'. "I assume it is so that we can coordinate everything accordingly?" Sakon nodded, which incited Baki to speak into a headset he was wearing. "Spread out along the wall, keep your weapons locked, loaded and ready for any other assaults. Let me know if you see anything at all." He nodded back to Sakon, who began walking along the wall, back to his own station as the other did as well. Cinder stayed with Guren, while Mercury went with Jirobo, Emerald went with Kidomaru and Roman went to meet up with Sasori in the final tower.

Now it was all a matter of what Lord Naruto wished for them to do.

 **[King Alexander's Tent]**

Outside of Mountain Glenn, past the northwestern wall, King Alexander VI Bastet looked over his maps and couldn't help but mutter to himself. What he said was incoherent, but the fact that he was muttering was clear enough. The King of Vale was a lithe man, with short, curled, brown hair and a pair of grey eyes. Atop his head, sat a black cap instead of the Crown Jewels of Vale. Hanging from his waist was a sabre with an ornate basket hilt, and a revolver on the other side of his belt with a silver gleam to it.

"My liege, I bring news from the southeastern wall." Another man, this one wearing plate armor over his entire body, aside from his head - the helmet was tucked under his arm - knelt before King Alexander. "Auran led his men in a charge on the wall and was killed, along with a majority of those following him, with the rest fleeing. The pretenders within seem to have mounted their first defense." Alexander looked to the man who spoke and nodded.

"Thank you, Argent." He replied, looking over the map in his tent of the area around Mountain Glenn. He took one of the chess pieces - each one representing a different noble who had answered his call to arms - off of the board. Despite how much Alexander might have tried to seem calm on the outside, it was very obvious he was sweating profusely from hearing the first deaths had been on their side. Nervously, he scanned the map. "How did it happen?"

"There was a woman on the wall who played a flute, then bent the weather to her will. Later, she was joined by a man with many arms who fired the largest bow I'd ever seen at him. The arrow must've been coated in Dust, for it exploded as soon as it hit my brother, killing his entire retinue. Anyone left was coated with this… strange purple material and then shattered, leaving nothing behind. The few peasant survivors ran to the woods, but those lunatics who have been picking us off might have gotten to them at this point.

"Do they have Huntsmen inside the walls?" Alexander asked with a clear look of fear in his eyes. If Ozpin had sided with the rebels… he knew he couldn't fight Huntsmen with these forces. Argent paused before shaking his head.

"If anything, I'd say that they're former White Fang. All of the people who used a Semblance were Faunus. Otherwise, it'd be pretty coincidental of three separate Faunus Huntsmen to gather in one place. On top of that, I didn't recognize any of them, and I have made it a point to memorize the faces of anyone who comes out of the Academies, just in case anyone tries to make an attempt on the life of my liege." Argent was still kneeling all through the conversation, and the conviction in his voice gave Alexander a little comfort. Perhaps they could turn this around.

"If they've only got three people with Semblance, then we just need to attack from four sides. I'll have Jasper, Onyx, Beryl and Amber launch a simultaneous charge from the north, south, east and west." King Alexander nodded to himself, content in his plan. Unfortunately for him, neither Argent nor himself seemed to notice something moving in the full-body mirror he kept at the back of the tent.

 **[Northern Wall]**

Naruto looked at Gari as he stated he'd like to help the war effort. Before he could speak, violet swam into and dominated his eyes. "I am afraid we will have to decline, Gari. There are many reasons that I cannot allow that to happen, the foremost being that, no matter how powerful your lot may be, you would be committing treason against the crown of your king. As it stands, you can complete your mission without negative consequences and it should remain that way. I understand what the Headmaster was attempting to do here, but Mountain Glenn can handle this." Gari seemed disappointed at Naruto's words, but nodded.

"I understand, and I appreciate your worry for us." Gari replied, though both his team and himself were surprised as an icy veil appeared before the blonde he spoke to, materializing into a rectangular shape before someone stepped out of it. It was difficult to tell much about them, considering they wore a teal haori and hakama and a full-face, white mask with a large, red swirl etched into its face. The masked figure knelt before Naruto and spoke in a very formal and respectful tone.

"Lord Naruto, I have uncovered the King of Vale's next strategy." Naruto nodded, motioning for his spymaster to continue. "He is under the assumption that Tayuya, Guren and Kidomaru are our only troops with Semblance and is going to instruct four of the nobles to charge our northern, southern, eastern and western walls. I am unsure when he will time this, but it will be simultaneous."

"Thank you Haku, I will prepare our forces accordingly." The masked individual nodded before going back into the mirror. Naruto looked at team BARD as his eyes reverted back to blue. "The nobles will be charging this wall pretty soon. Remember what I said: you may complete your mission but if you hinder us I will treat you like an enemy. I sincerely hope you are able to get back to Beacon without that happening. Do send my regards to the Headmaster though, his message is appreciated and understood." Gari seemed to be going through a few different emotions all at the same time but sighed.

"Right… I guess we're just going to have to get back to Vale then." Naruto nodded and turned, walking back through the wall as it opened for him. The trio of guards he had followed him through and it was only after it closed that Kurotsuchi talked.

"So… you know you never gave him the package, right?" She asked Gari, who looked over at Deidara to see it in his cousin's hands. "We didn't even complete our mission." Kurotsuchi sighed as she saw the look in her leader's eyes. "My big mouth… let me guess, you're going to use this as an excuse to stay, right?"

"I mean, he said he would let us complete our mission, didn't he?" Gari pointed out. "Deidara, hand that over to Akatsuchi. I trust him to keep it safe more than you. Besides, we're gonna need some explosives very soon." Deidara grinned and handed it over to Kurotsuchi's brother. "Let's hide in the trees for a bit while you get prepared. Apparently some people are going to be showing up rather soon. Four groups charging four walls and there's four of us, right? I think we can complete our mission here." Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes while Akatsuchi just nodded. "Deidara, you can stay here. I'll take the west, Akatsuchi gets the east and you can have the south, Kuro."

"It's because I can fly, isn't it?" Gari just smiled and looked at her. "Why do I always have to say something? Fine, but you owe me after this.


	21. Chapter XXI

**Shattered Pieces**

 **Chapter XXI**

"Are all the preparations complete?" Yami asked Kankurou back at the metalshop that his two engineers ran. Things were running a little last minute, but he was certain that everything would come together nicely. The Bear Faunus nodded his head as he flipped a switch. The blonde looked at the contraption that he had Kankurou working on the last few weeks and smiled.

It began to hover, a near silent hum emanating and echoing the empty area they occupied. Black and spherical, there was little to look at on the exterior, until it began to rotate along the horizontal axis, the northern hemisphere moving clockwise while the southern went counter-clockwise. With the slight hiss of mechanical parts releasing air, the sphere - which was about twice the size of a mature and ripe watermelon - began to extend. As it did so, an audible buzzing could be heard in the nearly soundless expanse the warehouse was in. "The Habitat for Insectoid Viewing Extremities is fully operational, as are the Wandering Apparatus of Shared Perception."

"HIVE and WASP, huh?" Yami wondered as the HIVE fully opened and hundreds… definitely more than a thousand, small, wasp-like and robotic things began to buzz around. "And these things can do everything you said, right? How much time did it take to reverse engineer that Atlas tech, anyways?"

"Of course they can do everything I said, Yami! I'm not that lazy deer that my sister is so infatuated with, you know! All of them can record up to 24 hours of surveillance without even needing to upload it into the main storage server where it would be located, are intelligent enough to evade assault and capture, come with self-destruct sequences powerful enough to simulate a small fragmentation grenade, have cameras that record in the highest quality you can possibly get and a visual range of over 200 meters. Everything they get is transmitted right to the HIVE and a few terminals in Mountain Glenn that I've already set up so long as they're within 25 kilometers, and I'll get that increased as soon as you get me the right equipment and I can head out to our vassal villages to get the infrastructure ready. These WASPs of mine will enable us to see anything and everything that happens. True, they aren't nearly as reliable as Haku, but he can only be in one place at a time."

"Well, you'll get your test run right here and right now. Send them out, keep and eye on the north, south, east and west walls with them. I'll have a few others down at City Hall to help you, including Shikamaru and Sasori. I need you two there if anything happens that requires repair, he'll coordinate everything and there will be some others there to monitor the different vantage points. If this turns out as well as you think they will, you'll have the funding you need to increase the scale and effectiveness of your HIVE." Kankurou nodded and headed out the warehouse doors, off to City Hall. "Haku, I need Sasori, Shikamaru, Yuukimaru, Rin, Hana, Karin and Utakata at City Hall. Let them know Kankurou will explain what needs to happen and that Shikamaru will be in charge of orchestrating the operation." Haku appeared out of the reflective and polished steel wall of the warehouse nearest Yami.

"Of course, Lord Yami. Where should I be during the assault?" He wondered. Yami thought for a moment before giving his answer.

"I'd like you to give Zabuza, Kisame and Suigetsu support on the east wall. The four of you are used to working as a squad by this point. I want you to use everything you've learned during the training with them to the best of your ability in these coming battles." Haku nodded his head and walked back into the wall, disappearing again.

"Where… will we be?" Neo wondered as she looked at Yami. Kimimaro had since been ordered to the west wall, while Zabuza was - as Yami stated before - on the east wall. Yami's eyes faded as blue shone once again. Neo couldn't help but smile as they did. She loved those deep blue eyes of his. They were like the ocean… vast and infinite, ever-present and something that could easily envelop you if you weren't careful. They matched his Aura so beautifully.

"We're going to be on the southern front, for now. If anyone needs assistance, though, we must be ready to go and aid them. I have the most power and I'm the leader. I have a responsibility to help whosoever requires it the most." Neo nodded in understanding and followed after her lover, gently caressing her parasol.

 _Anything you need, my love, I will ensure it is done. Anything you desire, you shall have it. Any obstacle… shall be obliterated. You should've just left us be, cowardly king. You should have given my love the crown, the throne and all of your land. Now… now you will perish in the most painful and embarrassing way possible. He will have everything, starting with this city. I won't rest until he gets the entire world though._ Neo's grin seemed absolutely mad as the thoughts circled through her head, but Naruto didn't pay it any mind since he was used to that expression on her face. He was even beginning to think it was cute, in its own way. Neo was pushed from her thoughts when the blonde took her hand into his own, which immediately calmed her. He smiled to her before speaking. "Soon, Neo. Soon, we'll have our home and then no one will bother us. Maybe I can even invite Blake over here and introduce you two properly? I think if I could get Blake and Adam here… and then I can have the three most important people in my life all get along, then I would be truly happy. We just need to make sure we have somewhere safe they can visit."

 **[Mountain Glenn - Southern Wall]**

As Naruto and Neo arrived at the Southern Wall, the blonde noted Jiroubo was watching the ground below. "Where are the others?" He wondered. The larger teen looked back and bowed his head to Naruto before he responded.

"It is unlikely for another attack to come so quickly, so I am keeping watch while Roman and Mercury are in the tower. Baki has some of his men along the walls as well, but it's just us three over here." Based on the disapproving look in Naruto's blue eyes, Jiroubo connected a few dots. "Is there another assault coming?" He wondered.

"Haku confirmed that the King is planning to launch a four-point charge on our walls as he thinks we only have three individuals with Semblances under our employ. The North, East, South and West walls will be attacked soon, though we don't have an exact time frame." The boy sighed. "I had heard the King was quite cowardly, but I think he also might be an idiot. For now, we must remain vigilant."

"Of course, Lord Naruto." Jiroubo acknowledged. "Do you have any orders?" As Naruto was prepared to answer, the artillery on the wall caught his eye. Rethinking his response, Kurama came out with a devilish grin.

"Man the artillery, Jiroubo." Red receded as purple shone through. "On my signal, you're going to shell the camps. I simply need some time to clear out Hidan's group and contact the other Guardians. If they won't lead the assault… we'll kill them all before they can." Looking at the heavy artillery in his possession, Jiroubo nodded.

"I shall bring those two out and have them keep lookout then." He mentioned as he headed into the tower.

Naruto took control again and began walking along the wall. "Let's go, Neo. There's more to be done before the King rushes our defenses." The parasol-wielding Queen of Mountain Glenn nodded and followed after him. He was showing such authority that she wouldn't have missed whatever he was planning for the world.

 **[Northeast Velian Camp - King Alexander's Tent]**

The King of all of Vale couldn't help but smile as his nervousness had slowly waned since giving his orders to Sir Argent. Things would start going better, he could just feel it! There was a… minor setback but if his vassals would only listen to him then things would go well and he'd subjugate these unruly Faunus.

That was about the time that Remnant began shaking.

Almost immediately upon the first rocking and concussions, Alexander found himself yelping and hiding under the table he had previously been sitting at. At first, it was only one tremor, but then the next came second later. Then the next. Again. Again. Again. It kept going until the shaking was nearly constant.

"My liege, we must leave!" The voice of Sir Argent cut through Alexander's fear as he appeared and helped him from underneath the table. "The rebels are bombarding us with some sort of artillery. For now, it's aimed at the eastern camp, the one Beryl was stationed at and preparing for her charge. I fear that she is likely dead, seeing as we can feel the quaking from here. Again, we must leave. Those raiders who have been harassing us must have been scouting the territory for Uzumaki so they could do this."

Alexander nodded quickly, fearfully, as he was led out of the tent. Getting on his steed, Argent doing the same, they quickly made their way from the camp. If only the terrain wasn't so terrible that they had to uses horses. He'd feel a lot safer in one of the other vehicles. The other nobles with him and the footsoldiers were also scattering. "We will need to regroup farther away." Argent explained. "For now, the further we are, the less likely we are to suffer high casualties from their assault. I hope the other camps are doing the same."

He didn't say anything, but King Alexander was fine running away from the explosions. As the duo rode further into the forest, he couldn't help but notice how much cooler it was getting as they continued. Was that… snow in the trees?

"Hold, my liege." Argent commented as he pulled his horse to a halt, Alexander doing the same. "Show yourself!" The King and the noble looked around the canopy and the floor for any signs of movement, but were surprised as a lake they had stopped adjacent to froze over and a figure emerged from its surface. Cloaked in teal clothing that looked to be from the Mistralian Orient and masked, the figure regarded them.

"Lord Uzumaki instructed me to guard the Wall, but after hearing his plan, I knew this was an opportunity we could not miss. After all, if you remove the head, a snake simply writhes around aimlessly." The figure spoke coldly, clinically as it threatened the Sovereign Ruler of Vale.

"You are one of those Pretenders then." Argent noted as he unmounted and pulled his sword from its place on his belt. "I shall not allow any man, woman or child to harm any descendant of our Glorious King Augustus." The figure looked upon Argent as a light blue Aura enveloped its hand before needles that appeared to be made of ice appeared in between the fingers of its clenched fist.

"I did not wish to kill more than necessary, but if you would throw your life away for this coward, then it cannot be helped." Argent, despite his armor, managed to evade the needles that came his way and rushed the figure.

"Away with you, my liege! I shall hold him off! You must go though! If you are lost, Vale is lost!" Only giving Argent a look for a moment, the King prodded his mount to gallop away even as Argent and the figure were locked in combat. For every swing and thrust he sent, the figure evaded it neatly.

The figure stopped defending, however, and placed Argent on the defensive quickly. Aura consumed its form and seeped into the frozen lake as large spikes of ice attempted to pierce through his armor. Argent's kite shield would not even stop those, and so all he could do was keep himself balanced on the ice with Aura and evade the spellwork as best as he could. Searching for an opening, any opening, he braced himself and jumped forward, barely evading a spike that could've ended him had he been any slower. Shield thrown away, he held his sword in both hands. The figure had not strayed from its original position, and Argent would make it pay for that mistake.

Just as Argent was about to attack him, a large and rectangular construct of ice appeared in between them, blocking his attack. The figure then appeared within the object before said object began to clone itself in a circle around Argent. Some of those then copied themselves and formed a layer of floating… mirrors above them. One last mirror appeared horizontally above them, creating a dome around the knight. "This is my ultimate technique, my unblockable attack. I'm sure, by this time, Hidan has gotten ahold of the King. Your sacrifice was for nothing, Sir Knight." The figure explained as it was visible in all of the mirrors. Argent looked around, trying to discern whether the figure really had copied itself or if the entire thing was an illusion.

"I am not finished yet, you Spectre!" He declared even as he molded his own Aura. "I will not allow disrespectful rebels and terrorists to take what King Augustus worked so hard to achieve!" Argent glowed with his own, silver, Aura as he spoke. His armor began to glow along with it brightly, so brightly it was blinding. When the glow died down, Argent seemed to match his name as his skin was now a silvery color and his armor was gone. With a grunt, he slammed his now silver fist into the nearest mirror and the figure seemed shocked when it shattered. It kept the dome up, but disappeared from the reflections.

Argent left the dome and noted that the figure was standing atop the horizontal mirror and looking down at him. Once again, it tried creating the spikes of ice from the ground, but Argent stood still this time. When the spike tried to pierce him, it didn't even leave a scratch on his new, gleaming form. Argent looked at the figure, a neutral expression in place before ripping the spike out of the ground and throwing it at the figure. Before it could hit, the masked entity disappeared into the mirror and the mirrors themselves disappeared. Argent reverted back to his normal form, got back on his horse and began the search for his liege.

 **[With King Alexander]**

While Argent was keeping the masked figure busy, the King did his best to get as far away from the battle as he possibly could. He was so focused on what was in front of him on eye level, however, that he didn't notice the tripwire right in the horse's path. With a loud cry of pain, it fell and crushed one of his legs beneath its large frame. His own cry of pain quickly followed as the bone snapped. With some trouble, he pulled himself out from underneath the steed, noting that its own legs were bleeding profusely from the thin wire it had cut itself on at high speed.

"Oooh? What do we have here?" Hidan wondered as he found the source of the scream he'd heard. "You wouldn't happen to be the one who challenged Lord Uzumaki's Divine Right, would you?" Alexander looked at the giant of a man who wore black robes, slicked back, silver hair and wielded a large, tri-bladed scythe as if he was death itself. "It's been some time since I've had the chance to sacrifice such nobility, and never have I been able to do so to Lord Uzumaki."

"S-stay away from me!" Alexander pleaded as he tried to crawl away; Hidan moved ever closer, scythe in hand. Stepping on the King's back he slid his weapon in place, with the King's neck between the first and second blade on his weapon.

"In the name of the Almighty, for he who Takes Pain and Gives Life, Blessed be thy Name. Send unto us all of your Good Will, Give unto Us all that you are willing and Take from us that which we cannot Bear, though allow us the privilege of Journeying with what Burdens we can take. Hallowed is Your Name, Lord Uzumaki, God of all Life. Hallowed is your Will, Lord Uzumaki. Hallowed is your Rule, Lord Uzumaki. In Your Name, By Your Will, Under Your Rule, I offer this infidel to you and may his Blood please you and empower you. Amen!" At the last word, Hidan ripped his weapon back, permanently severing the head of the Last King of Vale.

Grinning madly, Hidan held his scythe like a clergy's scepter, with his arms spread wide. "Flee, non-believers, heathens, heretics! Your King is no more and shall be no more! Only Lord Uzumaki is fit to Rule and only He shall! Lament your Salvation! Be thankful in your Ruin! The World that which was Broken shall be made whole again, for He is the Exalted, the Chosen and the Most Holy!"

That was when Argent arrived just in time to see his liege decapitated and a lunatic spouting some religious nonsense about the Pretender King. His calm demeanor disappeared as the King's rolling head stopped when it touched his boot. Looking down at it, he could still see the look of absolute terror in those fading eyes even when they blinked at him. "My liege…" Argent began seeing red as he laid his eyes on Hidan, his Semblance activating instantly as he was covered in that armor once again. Rushing forward with a guttural and bloodthirsty scream, he caught Hidan off-guard and slammed his fist into the man, launching him through _several_ trees as they snapped in half from the force.

Finally the man only dented the last tree he hit. Argent felt himself calm a little as he saw what he thought to be Hidan's mangled corpse. That was, of course, until the bones that protruded from his body began to re-align themselves and forced themselves back inside Hidan's body. Bruises disappeared in the blink of an eye as Hidan stood, a mad look in his eyes. "That… fucking hurt. I think I'm going to enjoy putting down another heathen." Hidan remarked as he held out a hand, which began glowing purple with Gravity Dust, and pulled his scythe back to his hand.

"What… are you?" Argent had to ask as Hidan rolled his neck, a neck which had been broken just a moment ago. Hidan grinned at the question.

"I am Hidan, the High Priest of the Temple of the Healer. I interpret the words of the God of Life, write them down and teach sermons to our members. I am the direct link between the Great and Merciful Lord Uzumaki and the common people. He showed me the Light and led me away from my heretical beliefs, to find the One True Faith. It is also the job of the High Priest to hunt down heretics and heathens and convert them… by the Word or by the Blade. I think the latter will be sufficient for you."

Argent braced himself as the zealot rushed forward. When Hidan didn't attack with the blade, but with the end of the handle, it certainly did surprise the knight. Seeing it didn't do anything, Hidan's eyes seemed to grow wilder. "I had thought it was something like that. I fought someone before with the ability to harden their skin a few decades ago, but I know how to beat you." Leaning his scythe against a tree, his entire robe glowed with that purple from the Gravity Dust. "I'll just have to literally beat you!"

Argent grimaced, knowing how dangerous Gravity Dust was in close proximity. Glancing at his liege, he couldn't back down though. Someone this insane couldn't be allowed to live! "Pay attention, heathen!" Argent was brought back to the present as Hidan had taken the moment of distraction he had to close the gap. Powered by the force of gravity, Hidan's punch launched Argent through three trees before he hit the ground, rolled a bit and then stopped with a groan. "Huh, that stuff is tougher than I thought. It doesn't really matter though, I'll tear you apart no matter how long it takes! I've got a literal eternity!"

Argent had barely regained his feet when Hidan was upon him again. He tried blocking the next blow, but Hidan merely kicked him through more trees when he connected. This time, he didn't even recover before Hidan stomped onto his back, channeling enough Gravity Dust to begin denting his metallic flesh. Argent couldn't even talk as he was first coughing, and then vomiting, blood. After that, he began choking on his own saliva and blood. Hidan removed his foot, grinning as the knight had let go of his Semblance and was currently bleeding internally, but still alive. "You're not allowed to die yet. That ability of yours will be useful, so I'm going to take you to Lord Uzumaki. Haku! Get the King's corpse." The masked figure from before jumped from the branches of one of the trees and silently did as instructed. With a grin, Hidan picked up Argent, armor and all, and set him over one shoulder as he walked back to Mountain Glenn, picking up his scythe on the way. Without the King or - even if Hidan didn't know it - his second-in-command, Vale's forces would be in chaos and soon, too, would be the government. This was just the beginning of the end for the once proud strongest of the Four Kingdoms.


	22. Chapter XXII

**Shattered Pieces**

 **I have returned from my hiatus! And I come bearing a quad upload as an apology to those who are still here. As well as a few announcements.**

 **Essentially, the real world came crashing down upon me and my ability to write very much suffered for it. However, I believe I've taken care of things to such a degree that I can get things here taken care of in some capacity. That said, my list of stories has become quite barren in the process.**

 **What I've done is take down everything but my active stories (currently only four) and will be putting all of my old stories (outside of The Ice Duo, because I lost the files for that) into an archive fic should anyone want to delve back into the terrible writings of my past sometime in the next month. The stories that I still have going will receive regular updates each week. I'm also going to shoot for longer chapters to make up for less uploads.**

 **Outside of that, I'm quite happy to be back and writing again, and I hope you guys are excited for what's to come.**

 **Chapter XXII**

Only one word could describe what went through the Lord of Mountain Glenn's head when his loyal spymaster appeared through one of his signature ice mirrors tossing a headless corpse to the floor, while he carried a vaguely head-shaped object wrapped in what appeared to be the Kingdom of Vale's national flag. _Hidan…_

"Lord Naruto, the soldiers are in retreat after out first bombardment. The peasantry seems to be unaccustomed to such high grade tactics and the nobility refuses to put themselves in that much risk. I know I was ordered to the Eastern Wall, but Hidan and myself thought it would be a wasted opportunity to not take advantage of the situation. While I kept Sir Argent, King Alexander's regent, busy, he came upon the King himself and executed him. Shortly afterward, Hidan beat Argent to such a state that he cannot move and will likely die within the hour regardless of healing. He is currently approaching the city on foot to deliver him to you so that you might find some use in his Semblance, which defended against all of my attacks."

For the record: Neo, Cinder and Guren were speechless throughout the entire exchange. Naruto himself had given control over to Yami, who motioned to Haku he wanted to verify the identity of whomever head he carried. Haku removed just enough of the flag to show the terrified visage of one King Alexander VI Bastet of the Kingdom of Vale. Nodding to himself, Yami allowed Haku to replace the cloth where it was previously. "It's still not over."

"I'm sorry?" Guren wondered. "We have the corpse of their leader and Hidan is delivering the second-in-command. Without them, the nobles really _will_ begin infighting. Not just here, but all over the Kingdom. With all due respect, Lord Yami, how is it _not_ over?" Yami turned to look down upon the open fields outside the walls that suddenly gave way to Velian forestry.

"There is no treaty, and they still have no idea what we've done. We need the nobles to see _exactly_ what Hidan did and ensure they know that they can't possibly gain anything from continuing here." He then looked over to his masked spymaster. "Contact Sasori. Tell him, I need a message sent to the Scrolls of every person outside the walls within our domain. I want these soldiers to know what we've done." Yami took the King's head from the boy and with that, he was off through another mirror to find the redhead. Purple eyes looked at the package he held as he went over several possible solutions to the predicament he found himself in.

"What will you do, little prince?" Cinder wondered, with a curious gleam in her amber eye. Things were certainly getting interesting. The chaos in Vale that was likely to come from this was just icing on the cake.

 _"King."_ Neo emphasized as she glared at the Fall Maiden. Cinder only let a small smirk twitch across her lips.

"Of course, King. Now that Alexander is dead, there is room after all." Yami waved off the woman's words.

"Mountain Glenn is our home. We don't need all of Vale. Let the nobles fight amongst themselves and weaken their forces. Someone else will take the mantle." Neo looked at Yami as he spoke, disappointment clear in her dichromatic eyes. She didn't say anything though.

 **[Mountain Glenn Command Center]**

"Can I get a status update on Camp Alpha?" Shikamaru asked as he listened to the radio chatter in his headset. After the person responsible for that particular camera feed replied, he relayed it quickly. "North Wall, Camp Alpha has scattered. Switch bombardment to secondary targets." Scanning his own video feeds, he watched as the southwesternmost camp was hit with the first shell. These WASPs were damn useful, that's for sure. He'd been able to keep track of basically the entire siege without needing to leave his post, and move the pieces around as if this was actually a game of Shogi.

His concentration was interrupted, however, as he felt a familiar formation of Aura. Taking the headset off, he turned and saw Haku materialize from a mirror. "Something from Lord Uzumaki, Haku?" He wondered. The spymaster nodded and searched the room quickly.

"Sasori, your services are required. Lord Uzumaki wants a wide-range communication sent out to every Scroll in the area. He wants to send a message to our enemies." The redhead seemed surprised but nodded. "How long will it take to set up?"

"Hm… generally it might take longer, but I think I can have it up within a half hour if we send the signal to the HIVE and have it relay it via the WASPs to all devices that can receive the signal. I'll get started on it right away and let you know when it's ready. We can either have a live-stream or use a recording, it's up to Lord Uzumaki." Haku nodded, stepping back into his mirror.

"I shall let him know then."

"The WASPs can really do something like that, Sasori?" Shikamaru wondered. When he received a nod, he motioned for the man to give some sort of explanation. He was genuinely curious.

"It's a relatively simple method. Scrolls manufactured legally and according to regulation are required to receive any signal on certain frequencies, regardless of whether they're harmful or not. By using one of those frequencies transmitted via the WASPs, they'll force the Scrolls to play the video. By using the HIVE as a hub, we only need to send it to a single device. Assuming we can get the WASPs in position to have the most amount of range, we can easily ensure everyone within a kilometer receives the transmission. Speaking of which: Kankurou, I need you to get have of the WASPs in position and leave the rest on surveillance."

"Yeah, I'm already working on it. Don't worry."

Shikamaru took in the information and spoke into his headset. "All teams, temporary halt on bombardment. If anyone gets too close to the walls, you are free to use Dust, Semblance and anti-personnel weaponry. Otherwise, halt your fire and remain vigilant." A hit to morale is best done as the enemy thinks that they've survived the worst, after all. Shikamaru didn't know what message Lord Uzumaki would be relaying. Given they objectively had the upper hand, however, it was most likely to be something major; something that could force a surrender.

 **[Eastern Wall]**

"Why… haven't you killed me yet?" Argent groaned out with some trouble. He was being carried over Hidan's shoulder as if he weighed nothing, his blood definitely having soaked the man's robe. Well, what was left of it after their fight, anyways. The silver-haired priest simply grinned.

"Your usefulness is in dying close enough to Lord Uzumaki so that he can get access to your Semblance, not in the middle of nowhere. You were a good fighter, competent. You even managed to get past Haku. I'm sure that those memories of yours would serve us well in figuring out how best to approach the other nobles. Not to mention that little trick of yours would really enhance Lord Uzumaki's defensive capabilities. That's why you're still alive."

Argent didn't have the energy to argue, let alone fight back. Still, it was curious Hidan just stood outside the wall and wasn't heading for the gate. When the wall itself _opened_ in front of him, there were no words for his thoughts. "Is this the man that defeated Haku, Hidan?" Argent looked upon the boy before him. Blonde hair, blue eyes, tan skin and wearing Mistralian clothing; who was he?

"That's right, Lord Uzumaki!" Hidan asserted and dropped Argent to the floor, eliciting a sharp scream from him as his broken bones reacted to the hard ground. "I wasn't sure what the range on Burden was, so I brought him back. He has this Semblance that turns his flesh metallic, I think. It took quite a bit of my strength to break his concentration long enough for it to drop. I think it would be really useful. Also, this guy has to be pretty high-ranking considering he was specifically protecting the King."

Before Naruto could say anything, Argent pieced together what strength he had left and spoke. "You're the Pretender? You're just a child..." Naruto knelt in front of the man, looking into his eyes. "Why… would you do something so despicable? The Bastet's are responsible for the world being as peaceful as it is."

"Peaceful, eh?" Naruto wondered. "Well, while I didn't intend on killing the King, even I can't bring people back from the dead. That man was a coward and a weakling. Not only that, but he was incompetent and allowed the nobles to push him into this siege. It's a wonder he lived this long, actually." The blonde gazed at the knight. "You do interest me though. Someone skilled enough to have Haku concede is quite powerful indeed. Why would you be loyal to someone so terrible? Here, I'll fix you up, but Hidan will really kill you this time if you try anything."

Argent didn't really get what the boy was going on about. Then, Uzumaki laid a hand on his back. He felt Aura being poured into him, and watched as the boy before him seemed to… take on all of his injuries. His cuts closed up as the Pretender's flesh opened. His bones mended as the boy before him had his own visibly break his skin. As Argent felt his organs return to a healthy state, he knew that the teen in front of him now had those exact same punctures, gashes and hemorrhages that he had sustained. Then… before Argent's eyes all of those ailments healed. The bones popped back into place; the cuts closed up; he stood there perfectly healthy as if he was never harmed. Slowly, Argent stood, regarding the boy. "What did you do?"

The blonde held his hand, and Argent noted that the silver-haired man was about to say something but held back. "What I did isn't important. As you can see, you are no longer at risk of death, for now. I could easily have let you die, and simply taken your soul for myself. Like I said though, you intrigue me. Well, I suppose it's better to say you intrigue us… that isn't really important now. I suppose I should introduce myself, however. I am Naruto Uzumaki, Lord-Protector of Mountain Glenn and Leader of the Clan."

"I am Sir Argent of House Warwick." He replied. "Though a noble, I have little claim to the duchy of Arden, which my family has ruled over and protected even before the Great War. My sword belongs to the Bastets… though I suppose with His Majesty's death it no longer does. I have failed the memory of King Augustus." Argent looked to the ground.

"I think I'm starting to get a better picture now." Yami had taken over at this point. "You weren't loyal to the Coward, but to his line. Or maybe… to the throne? I've heard of some nobles making pledges like that. You certainly are a strange one, Sir Argent." Naruto took control once more, but had a thoughtful expression. "Hidan, what do you think? His memories and Semblance might be useful, but I think that he could be, as well."

The acolyte understood what his master was getting at very quickly. "I think I know what you mean. If someone so high up were now on our side, it would serve us even better, right?" Argent perked up at hearing that, a fire entering his previously dead eyes.

"I would never attack my home, nor abandon the Hero-King's virtues!" Argent protested as he stood, towering over Naruto. Despite that, the blonde gave him a look. Argent could've sworn that his eyes were blue… but this purple gaze made him unsure who really was the larger man at that time.

"We have no wish to fight Vale." Yami stated plainly. "In fact, if that imbecile would've just approached us diplomatically, perhaps negotiations could have taken place, a treaty been formed. Instead he attacked, and we defended. If we could ensure that the forces of Vale stand down and lay not another hand in our direction, that would be for the best. We have our own interests, and our own villages to protect. Villages that that King was supposed to ensure were defended. Only because he was so despicable could we have gained their loyalty as vassals. If anyone has broken the virtues of King Augustus, it was Alexander."

Argent seemed like he was going to say something, but only looked to the side. It was certainly the truth. Nobility was tasked with protecting the peasantry, and ever since King Marcus had died, that had been happening less and less. "The nobles of Vale are power-hungry and have been growing lazier." He finally noted. "The memories of the Great War faded quickly, and with no conflicts there was little to occupy their time. The Grimm are taken care of by the Huntsmen, but they can only do so much. Just because that is their specialty doesn't mean that the nobility should halt in their ancient duty. Many have forgotten that. On top of that, King Alexander was easily pushed around and easily distracted. He was not greedy, but the whispers of the nobles are what convinced him to attack. The Dust robberies have made the people of Vale afraid, discontent. We rely far too much on Atlas, and the largest supplies of Dust in our Kingdom are heavily guarded by Grimm Nests.

"However, Mountain Glenn had been eradicated of Grimm, for the most part. That enticed the nobles and the burghers. Truth be told, King Alexander was willing to overlook your declaration of independence due to not wanting to fight someone capable of doing what his nobles and what Ozpin could not. Or would not. They pushed, he tried to pull, but it was too much. My sword belongs to the successor of King Augustus, to he who carries the mantle of our great Hero-King. Therefore, I followed where King Alexander went. He was not prepared for what came, for how competent you all were. None of us were. Each noble had his own glory in mind, and there was no central structure. His Majesty was leader in name only the moment we left the Capital."

"It's just as I suspected then." Yami noted. "The in-fighting was already going on well before today. Alexander's death will surely cause a succession crisis, but the Nobles likely will think of this as the most optimal outcome, an opportunity to take the Throne. We have no wish to take the Crown of Vale, and we will remain outside of the conflict sure to come so long as it does not come to us. I can't really say the same of the other Kingdoms, though. Then there's the White Fang on top of that. Vale is… going to burn, I'd say."

Argent clenched his fists tightly, but he couldn't argue with the cold analysis. "All that leaves is… you, Sir Argent." Naruto was in control once more. "Where do you go in all of this? Someone like you, I'd say you'd certainly be talented enough to make use of. My family is the most important thing to me. Even if we were enemies this morning, I'll accept you if you can help protect them. Or, I can relieve you of your life right here and now, and use your strength as my own to help them. Sir Argent… there is a war on the horizon. Not this petty conflict, not the upcoming civil war in Vale that is all but destined to come of this, but another Great War. I can assure you that it will be, just as surely as the sun will rise in the morning. I'd like you to stand with me when it comes, whether you're alive or dead doesn't actually change the outcome of that."

"Are you some sort of necromancer?" Argent wondered, to which the boy smiled and shook his head.

"No, I'm a healer, and a protector. My Semblance… it is of devouring though. Just as I devoured your injuries, I devour the abilities of those who die around me. I don't want to destroy though. I want to build. I wish to build something that will outlive me, somewhere safe for my family. If I can ensure that they are never hurt, that they would always be happy then I will. However… anyone that tries to take that from them, I will gladly erase. I may be a child myself, but the Clan is my family… I was born with this power, and so I need to use it to protect them."

Argent saw something in those blue eyes, something he knew quite well. "There is an ancient code of honor amongst my family, Lord Uzumaki. Noblesse Oblige is the obligation of those born with much to provide for those with little, to ensure they live peacefully, healthily and happily. The peasants are our children to look after. Many of those in Vale have forgotten this code, but I can see that it is very much alive in you. I will lend you my sword, if you can promise me to ensure the Crown of Vale passes to someone whom holds the spirit of the Hero-King."

"Hm… finding someone like that could take some time and effort. Still, it would probably be best for the Clan if the new King of Vale was someone I could trust not to try and attack me. Okay, I'll promise you that, Sir Argent. However, if you attack any of my people, my family, I will make you wish for death. You understand that, correct?" The man nodded. "Then I will accept."

"I look forward to seeing what kind of man you are, my liege."


End file.
